Brussels, 27/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The failure of Greek Commissioner for Migration and Internal Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos to appear on Tuesday 27 January at the European Parliament's civil liberties (LIBE) committee hearing on tackling terrorism has fuelled rumours of his return to Greece, where he could be the next president.
“Not present for very understandable reasons”, said LIBE committee chair Claude Moraes (S&D, UK), without giving any indication of what those reasons were. Eventually, the commissioner's spokespersons insisted that he had been “held up because of the Holocaust 70th anniversary ceremonies and was, indeed, in Brussels”. Avramopoulos will, in any event, be in Riga to take part, at the informal meeting of EU home affairs ministers, in the debate on the EU response to terrorism, his spokespersons confirmed.
According to the Greek press, agreement has been reached in the new governing Syriza-Anel coalition for Avramopoulos, who belongs to the EPP, to be the next president. Events are likely to be settled quite swiftly “maybe before the end of the week”, a European insider opined. Should Avramopoulos return to his native country, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will have a free hand should he wish to reshuffle portfolios, as his position allows. A new commissioner belonging to the Syriza party will not, then, necessarily take over the portfolio currently held by Avramopoulos. (SP)