Brussels, 10/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos has taken the first essential step towards his own succession within the next European Commission. Romania's President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta have officially decided that Dacian Ciolos, currently the commissioner for agriculture and rural development, will be Bucharest's candidate for the formation of the next European Commission - which will become operational at the beginning of November for a mandate of five years. They would like Ciolos to have the same portfolio as now, if possible.
Basescu and Ponta are not from the same political party - with Basescu currently being without a party label although close to the European People's Party (EPP), and with Ponta being a member of the PSD (the party affiliated to the Party of European Socialists).
“It will not surprise you if I say that I am very open to a second mandate”, Ciolos had replied when questioned by journalists in early May on the sidelines of the informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers. “But this certainly does not depend only on me. It will depend on the results of the European Parliament elections, on the president of the next Commission, and especially on the Romanian government”, he had said. (LC)