Guy Verhofstadt is an MEP so was directly elected by his home country. Mandelson and Junker were/are civil servants so wouldn't get elected directly, but appointed by elected politicians.
> nice place to retire
Or in Mandelson's case a nice place to negotiate a ground-breaking trade deal with India. I'm planning an easier retirement myself. Maybe the UK house of Lords. Unellected clapped out politicians...
Or they get sent there because they lost a fight in their party: "In Brussels, no one can hear you scream".
It's definitely a step down compared to national politics. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Of course, if the EU was more powerful this might attract more up-and-coming politicians, but I don't think that's what people who make this complaint wants.
Guy Verhofstadt is a MEP, they are elected directly by the people.
Peter Mandelson was a commissioner, they are nominated by member countries.
Jean-Claude Juncker was the President of European Council, to become one he needed approval of most of its members which are heads of government or state of member countries.
The fuck is EU supposed to do with them then? Tell voters a MEP they directly picked in an election is thrown out, tell UK their chosen commissioner is thrown out and tell over 20 country heads in European Council the President they chosen is thrown out?
He was the President of the European Commission which requires approval of European Parliament (elected directly) and European Council (the heads of countries).
What the fuck is EU supposed to do with him? Throw him out and tell leaders and directly elected MEPs from 20+ countries to shove it? And who exactly is the EU in that case? Who and how could challenge these decisions while the majority of actual people in Europe don't give enough of a shit about Barroso and elect (if they even go to the elections..) these governments, heads of state and MEPs that put him where he was?
it's a nice place to retire, and pays more than the national office too
there's peter mandelson, jean-claude juncker and guy verhofstadt, to name a few