After the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) rejected (24 votes against, 23 in favour, 10 abstentions) François-Louis Michaud’s candidacy for the post of Executive Director of the European Banking Authority (EBA) on Friday 3 July, uncertainty remains over the outcome of the vote, this time scheduled for the plenary session on Wednesday 8 July.
“It’s totally undecided. There were a large number of abstentions”, Sven Giegold (Greens/EFA, German) told EUROPE on Monday 6 July. The Greens/EFA group took a position from the outset against the appointment of Mr Michaud, currently in post at the ECB, as a protest against the European authority’s desire to appoint a man yet again. “The EBA Board of Supervisors must take Parliament seriously”, Mr Giegold added, criticising the fact that the European authority was still too much in the hands of the Member States.
In January, the European Parliament had already rejected the candidature of the Irishman Gerry Cross for the same post, on the grounds of gender and revolving doors (see EUROPE 12415/9).
During prior informal consultations between the European Parliament and the EBA, three names were put forward in the following order of preference by MEPs: Frenchwoman Isabelle Vaillant, Frenchman François-Louis Michaud and Irishman Gerry Cross.
The S&D group is not united on Mr Michaud’s candidacy. “I'm surprised he doesn’t take it back. It is not a signal intended for him, but is being sent to the EBA”, said Frenchwoman Aurore Lalucq. However, Italy’s Irene Tinagli, who chairs the ECON committee, and Spain’s Jonás Fernández are not convinced by the rejection of Mr Michaud’s candidacy.
There are also fault lines within the EPP and Renew Europe groups. Renew Europe welcomes the laudable aim of Parliament resolution of March 2019, which calls for the appointment of women to positions of responsibility in the EU’s financial institutions and bodies. But it is also argued that the regulation establishing the European Supervisory Authorities does not give Parliament the option to choose between two candidates and should therefore be amended.
“I work well with Mr Garicano, I really like him. But he cannot be satisfied with a letter from Mr Michaud”, Mr Giegold said, asserting that the EBA will change its policy on gender equality.
Both Ms Lalucq and Mr Giegold underlined the action of the Austrian Social Democrat Evelyn Regner, Chair of the Women’s Rights Committee, who believes that the EBA’s attitude in this case is unacceptable. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)