European Digital Economy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, who has been severely criticised for racist, homophobic and inappropriate remarks about Wallonia, finally apologised on Thursday 3 November following a telephone call from President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (see EUROPE 11659).
It is likely that Juncker called Oettinger to order. The two men spoke on Wednesday 2 November and will do so again on Friday 4 November, said a Commission spokesperson. What pushed Oettinger to finally apologise? The telephone call from Juncker seems to have influenced the decision, hinted the Commission spokesperson. Juncker will ask Oettinger to explain himself following secretly recorded comments made during a meeting of business leaders in Hamburg, North Germany, last week.
"I had time to reflect on my speech, and I can now see that the words I used have created bad feelings and may even have hurt people. This was not my intention and I would like to apologise for any remark that was not as respectful as it should have been", Oettinger said in a press release published on Thursday 3 November, which gives the impression, however, that he is trying to make his thoughts more acceptable rather than actually totally renouncing his controversial comments.
"Misquoted" comments about Wallonia. "Let me add here that I regret that some of my remarks were misquoted regarding Wallonia which is not only historically an important European region, but actively contributes to the cultural and political diversity of Europe. Coming myself from a federal state, I take regions and their points of view very seriously", Oettinger explained. The Commission spokesperson confirmed that Oettinger's comments about Wallonia had been badly reported. On Thursday, Oettinger apologised for comments he made in a speech in Romania about gay marriage, the spokesperson added.
An astounding sense of superiority. On Wednesday 2 November, Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a press conference that Oettinger’s remarks about the Chinese revealed an astounding sense of superiority entrenched in some Western politicians. This criticism from China about the commissioner’s comments certainly played a part in his decision to apologise.
Oettinger remains critical of insufficient access to the Chinese market for foreign companies and investment. "I have great respect for the dynamics of the Chinese economy – China is a partner and a tough competitor. Therefore we need a level playing field where Chinese companies can buy European ones and European companies can buy Chinese ones. It is important to have that access on both sides – and I see room for improvement here", he said.
On the trade deal with Canada and delays caused by the negotiations in Belgium, Oettinger stated: "I pointed to the need to have a functioning European governance – the CETA example showed that Europe's credibility as a reliable partner in international trade is easily lost if we do not pay more attention". (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)