Brussels, 06/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - Perhaps it was her political commitment and her experience as Slovenian prime minister that, in a very short period of time between 2013 and 2014, saw her country avoid an international bail-out that might have saved the candidacy of Alenka Bratusek for the post of Commission vice-president and energy union commissioner, as the European Parliament energy committee sets about deciding whether to approve her appointment.
Beyond the many criticisms she suffered, both over her nomination of herself for the post of commissioner in the incoming Juncker Commission when she was still head of the Slovenian government and her political past deemed equivocal by some, and despite the pledges of good will that she gave over the course of three hours in an attempt to prove that she had what it takes to head up a still embryonic common energy policy while facing the challenges of the Ukrainian crisis and high tension with Russia, Bratusek displayed rather limited technical knowledge at her hearing before the Parliament committee.
When they come to decide, maybe the MEPs will be lenient, remembering the laboured hearings of Bratusk's predecessors - Lithuanian Andris Piebalgs, in 2004, who had to replace the initial candidate, Hungarian Lazlo Kovacz, then Günther Oettinger of Germany in 2009, who was not to everyone's liking.
In her initial presentation on Monday, Bratusek from the outset highlighted her greatest achievement as former head of government - she had “saved Europe from another problem”, by avoiding her country's having to seek an international financial rescue. “I'm used to working in particularly demanding circumstances”, she claimed, highlighting her “feminine touch to calm things”. She also claimed credit for helping ensure proper implementation of the third package liberalising the internal energy market in Slovenia, at a time when delays in transposition in a number of member states are hindering efforts to integrate the EU internal energy market.
In line with her mission statement, Bratusek pledged on Monday to strive for the construction of a “resilient” energy union that is consistent with EU climate imperatives. Completion of the internal market, strengthening interconnections and developing infrastructure, strengthening bargaining power with regard to third countries, diversifying supply sources and routes and developing domestic energy sources so as to reduce the EU's energy dependency, particularly that of the member states in Eastern Europe which are dependent on one single supplier …: Bratusek omitted nothing from her introductory speech, promising an emergency plan to improve the EU's energy security in the short term and avoid any possible energy shortages in the coming months, given the current tensions with Russia, the EU's major supplier. In energy relations with third countries, “I will play a proactive role in ensuring that individual initiatives build into coherent and coordinated action”, she promised
Bratusek also scored points on her willingness to coordinate Commission efforts so that, climate and competitiveness notwithstanding, the EU might achieve its energy goals for 2020 and 2030, through making renewable energy a major source and through energy efficiency and, especially, through the investment package promised by Juncker. “I will do all in my power so that a significant share of the Juncker investment plan goes to energy infrastructure and energy efficiency”, she stated several times.
Several MEPs, however, did nothing to hide their frustration at Bratusek's answers, often felt to be “to general”, to their precise or technical questions. Julie Girling (ECR, UK) complained that Bratusek had given nothing other than lightweight statements and repeated generalities. “We expect a vice-president who also takes the initiative and who is strong. I call on you really to be a bit clearer on what you want, instead of saying the general situation is difficult, which we all know anyway”, said Bas Eikhout (Greens/EFA, Netherlands). Reminding the member states of their obligations and responsibilities, the Slovenian candidate often took refuge behind the principle of the sovereignty of the member states in matters of energy mixes, a principle which, it is true, has long prevented the blossoming of a real common European energy policy (our translation throughout). (EH)