Brussels, 09/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 9 October, the President-elect of the future European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, announced that Slovenia's Alenka Bratusek had pulled out of the race for the post of vice-president of the Union for energy, following her decisive rejection, the day before, by the competent committees of the European Parliament. This will “make my job easier” in preparing the composition of the future Commission, said Juncker. The political groups of the Parliament were calling for her to be replaced before she had even announced her decision to step aside.
Bratusek was rejected with 112 MEPs against her appointment, 13 in favour and two abstentions. She paid the ultimate price for the poor quality of her answers at her hearing (see EUROPE 11170). The former Liberal prime minister also came under fire for having put herself forward after she lost the general election. If Bratusek had not stepped aside and the Parliament had not been able to get over its misgivings about her, the entire Commission may not have been approved, as the college is approved en masse.
The EPP and the S&D proposed a candidate they feel is perfect, the MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D). Manfred Weber, leader of the EPP Group, stressed that Fajon was one of the three individuals put forward in August by the Slovenian government. Gianni Pittella, head of the S&D Group, described her as extremely competent. “So as not to drag things out too much further, the logical choice would be to use this candidacy”, he said. The stance of the EPP and of the S&D Groups in favour of Fajon do not go down at all well over with the ALDE Group. “The declarations of the leaders of the S&D, EPP and Green groups of the Parliament are utterly unacceptable. The decision must be made by the Slovenian government alone”, said Slovenia's Ivo Vajgl (ALDE).
Although the hearings are taking place next week, the Commission will struggle to be ready by 1 November, an EU source explained. Bratusek's resignation could have been held up by Juncker to buy him time to negotiate with the Slovenian government, to be sure of getting a candidate who would pass the test of the hearing before the MEPs.
The Slovenian prime minister, Miro Cerar (centre), said on Thursday that Slovenia would put forward a new candidate within two or three days. ALDE's preferred choice would be Violeta Bulc, currently the deputy prime minister. Her advantage lies in the fact that her current position gives her the calibre to take up a vice-presidency within the Juncker Commission, a source explained. Cerar also rejected the EPP/S&D suggestion.
If Bulc were to be selected, only one hearing would be needed, said the ALDE Group, and if Fajon went forward, Slovenia would lose the vice-presidency. “So we would be reshuffling the cards”, a Liberal source explained. The changes of portfolio which have been discussed include the possibility for Maros Sefcovic to take the vice-presidency in charge of the Energy Union, with the Slovenian candidate then inheriting the post of Commissioner designate for Transport and Space originally to be held by Sefcovic. “This would call for two hearings instead of one”, the same Liberal source added.
The other logistical demands of the Parliament. The Parliament's only other victim is Hungary's Tibor Navracsis, who has been accepted as commissioner, but whose responsibilities will have to be revised. The former justice minister under Viktor Orban had been earmarked for Education, Culture and Citizenship, but may lose the last of these. This part of the portfolio could then go to Greece's Dimitris Avramopoulos, who is in charge of Immigration and Home Affairs.
At the centre of a controversy over presumed conflicts of interest due to his links to the oil industry, the Spanish candidate for Climate Action and Energy finally came through unscathed, thanks to the support of his political family, the EPP, which secured the Socialist vote. This endgame, which was made possible by balancing Canete's fate against that of France's Pierre Moscovici, goes against popular mobilisation in Europe against the Spanish candidate, whose departure has been called for in a petition signed by more than half a million Europeans. “The European Socialists managed to get Frans Timmermans, Socialist first vice-president of the Juncker Commission”, a vice-presidency extended to sustainable development, said Pervenche Berès (S&D, France). The Commission has not confirmed this report.
In exchange, the Socialist Pierre Moscovici was confirmed in the Economic Affairs job, despite the reservations voiced by the Right over his ability to judge the quality of French finances with impartiality. Jonathan Hill also received the blessing of the Parliament committee to hold the post of Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union, much to the displeasure of the Greens. Finland's Jyrki Katainen, who was designated vice-president for Employment, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, was approved by the committees which heard him.
The European Socialists also report that they have convinced the Commission to review its decision to transfer health products and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from Health (SANCO) to Enterprise, but nothing has been confirmed at this stage. (EL/LC with SP)