The keepers

Let’s start with the positive. The new Commission is certainly not without it stars, as some member states do take these nominations quite seriously.

Cecilia Malmström

The Swedish nominee will make an excellent Commissioner.
Photo: Flickr/ Baltic Development Forum

Hailing from Sweden, this bright and competent woman is no stranger to Brussels. From 1999-2006, she served as MEP for the Liberal People’s Party, under the ALDE umbrella. As MEP, Malmström was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs, among other positions. More famously, she campaigned to permanently keep the European Parliament in Brussels, a move that would save around €200 million per year. Over 1 200 000 people have signed the online petition she initiated, oneseat.eu.

Malmström resigned early from her second term as MEP to take up to post of Swedish Minister of European Affairs. In this position she has proved active, and played a strong role in preparing and executing the current Swedish Presidency. Keeping close to the citizens, she has kept a blog about the daily work of the Presidency and developments in the EU, which she updates nearly every second day – quite an impressive feat for an extremely busy politician.

Malmström is a politician who can be admired and trusted. She has a clear and open record of her past involvement in political groups, and has been proactive in her previous posts. In addition, Malmström is well suited to the EU environment. She is well educated, having completed a PhD in Political Science, and fluently speaks Swedish, English, Spanish and French, with decent German and Italian as well. Cecilia Malmström will make an excellent Commissioner for Home Affairs, a new portfolio which includes justice, liberty, and security.

Connie Hedegaard

The Danish nominee is most suitable as Climate Action Commissioner.
Photo: Flickr/ chinadialogue.net

Named among the 100 most influential people of 2009 by Time Magazine, Hedegaard is perhaps better known in her native Denmark as ‘Ms Climate’. The current Danish Minister for COP15, and the former Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, Hedegaard will of course be taking up the Climate Action post. In 1984 she became the youngest person ever elected to the Danish national parliament, but left politics six years later to pursue journalism.

Over the course of fourteen years as a journalist, director of a news radio channel, and anchor for a TV new program, Hedegaard established herself as a strong, charismatic character. As Minister for Climate and Energy, she introduced Denmark’s Energy Policy (2008-2011), making Denmark the first state in the world to commit itself to an overall energy reduction. Her aforementioned recognition by Time Magazine was granted for her fight against climate change, and she is certain to be centre stage as COP 15 begins this week.

Some critics have suggested that she was appointed to the Commission because her pushy and outspoken nature is a nuisance for the Conservative People’s Party of which she is a member. But Denmark’s loss will be the EU’s gain. The Union will be well served by a well-informed and insistent Climate Action Commissioner.

To be replaced

Evidently, there are some strong and inspired new characters on Barroso’s second Commission. As a matter of respect to these and other nominees, and in the interest of all EU citizens, Barroso should reconsider a few of the nominees before presenting the group to the European Parliament. In no particular order:

Günther Oettinger

When Merkel announced she was nominating Oettinger to the Commission, the shock was visible across the continent, but perhaps most obviously within Germany itself. Oettinger has been involved with the Christian Democratic Union (Merkel’s party), since his youth, and was first elected to the parliament of Baden-Württemberg in 1984. He has been Minister President of this prosperous region since 2005. As a politician, Oettinger has no national or international experience, a disadvantage that might be overlooked, had he a clean and strong record as a regional leader.

A controversial candidate from Germany with no national nor international experience.
Photo: Flickr/ Bernd Glasstetter

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Accused of being a weak leader, and in particular of poorly handling the financial crisis, there is also much controversy and scandal attached to his name. In 2007, he gave a controversial eulogy for Hans Filbinger, a former Minster President of Baden-Württemberg who was resigned over allegations that he had worked as a navy lawyer and judge for the Nazi regime. Oettinger claimed that Filbinger actually opposed the regime, and insisted that no one had died as a result of any of Filbinger’s verdicts. Merkel was publicly unimpressed, as these statements were widely seen as insensitive, understating the impact of the Nazi regime.

Until 2007, Oettinger was a member of an extremely conservative education centre, founded by Filbinger. He was pressured into withdrawing from the centre which was connected to anti-semitic and homophobic statements.

He has also made some appalling comments when addressing Landsmannschaft Ulmia, his former student corporation. In 2000, he sang the first (forbidden) verses of the German national anthem, which refer to German borders before World War II. In 2007, he told the group that it was a shame there would be no other war, speaking about the benefits of war, such as solidarity against a common enemy.

Oettinger’s controversial statements are not to be excused, particularly since they are multiple in number. It’s no secret that Merkel does not hold him in high esteem, nor does the German press. Upon his appointment, many questions are asked about how such a ‘disgraced politician’ could be sent as Germany’s nominee to the European Commission. On the other hand, many interpreted this as Merkel’s attempt to rid herself and her country of this troublesome figure. Thanks for respecting the European Union, Mrs. Merkel.

Dacian Cioloş

It is perhaps not entirely fair to list Cioloş as one of the worst nominees. He might indeed have the personal merit to have deserved Romania’s nomination, though it did encounter internal opposition. The two main opposition parties criticized his appointment as a desperate effort by the troubled government to launch one of their own into a prominent position. Indeed, the government fell the following day.

The real controversy, however, comes in the portfolio he was given. Cioloş studied in a agro-industrial high school, and graduated from a university of agricultural science as a horticultural engineer. He earned his master’s and PhD in the economy agriculture development, worked at an agricultural think-tank, and served as Agriculture Minister of the Romanian government for just over a year. Unsurprisingly, he has been named Commissioner for Agriculture. What is not so obvious, however, is that his prospective position is expected to function as a second post for France.

The Romanian nominee’s close ties to France raise suspicions about where he loyalties will lie.
Photo: Europa Audiovisual Service

As a self-professed Francophile, Cioloş claims France as his ‘adopted country’. His master’s and doctorate degrees come from French universities, and prior to his French education he spent more than a year interning on organic farms in France. Additionally, he has worked at the Aveyron agricultural chamber of commerce, and at two agricultural development agencies in France. It’s fair to presume his ideas about agriculture and the direction the CAP should take might be influenced by his French education and work experience. The fact that he fancies France as his adopted country gives fuel to the accusation that he will effectively be a second French Commissioner. The CAP is certainly something that France is keen to mold and protect, and it wouldn’t be the first time France has their way with a smaller Eastern European member state.

However, the most telling sign was French President Sarkozy’s reaction to Cioloş’ portfolio. As reported by euobserver.com, Sarkozy has hailed Romania’s Agriculture portfolio as a ‘second victory’. Apparently, Paris lobbied aggressively to secure this post for Cioloş (and themselves). Just last week, French Commissioner Michel Barnier assured the French press he would keep his fellow Commissioners, particularly Cioloş, under close watch, making the French opinion known. A second Commission post hijacked by one a big EU state. Well done, Mr. Sarkozy.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

Ireland’s nominee to the Commission is a certain Ms Geoghegan-Quinn. It’s not entirely clear if Irish PM Brian Cowen genuinely thought that she would be the most respectable person for the job, or if he was following Merkel’s lead and attempting to keep this corrupt figure off the Emerald Isle for another five years. Most likely, the former is true, as Geoghegan-Quinn has in fact been based in Luxembourg for the past ten years, and not much is said of her controversial past. One thing is certain though: she is not a respectable nominee.

The Irish Commissioner nominee’s scandalous past makes her an inappropriate choice for the position.
Photo: Europa Audiovisual Service

Geoghegan-Quinn began her political career by winning her father’s seat in the national parliament, following his death in office. She subsequently held a number of ministerial positions, and even ran for leader of the Fianna Fáil party, dropping out the day of the election when it was clear she would lose. A few years after withdrawing her candidacy, she withdrew herself from politics altogether, and became a member of the board of the Ganley Group, among other positions. Two years later she was appointed to the European Court of Auditors, where she has spent the last ten years.

The big scandal associated with Geoghegan-Quinn involves her previous post as Justice Minister of Ireland. Admittedly, she did some good in this position, pushing through considerable law reform legislation, including decriminalizing male homosexuality. She also, however, used her powers to alter or override rulings by the courts against TDs (Irish members of parliament). In effect, she ran what has been described as a ‘private, parallel justice system’. The Irish Constitution allows the President or other authorities (later interpreted in legislation as the Justice Minister’s jurisdiction) to reduce or remove sentences. This function meant to be used sparingly, and only in special circumstances.

Geoghegan-Quinn, however, (not unlike her predecessors) used this privilege in extreme excess, reducing 2,283 sentences in just one year. Yet, despite a court ruling that confirmed her abuse of the system, she was appointed to the Court of European Auditors less than five years later, and will now likely be European Commissioner. Seemingly small in comparison, but also to be noted: Ganley Group, of which she was a board member, is indeed owned by Declan Ganley, the notorious euro-skepticist who bank-rolled the ’No’ campaign in the Irish referendum. Could Cowen really not come up with a better candidate?

To be considered

The fact is, some Commissioners are great, some are awful, and the rest fall somewhere in between. Barroso has accepted these nominations, but the final crucial step is the approval of the European Parliament. MEPs will have a chance to grill each candidate separately in hearings held in January 2010, and will then either reject or accept the Commission. Rather than jeopardizing the nominations of excellent candidates, Barroso should seriously consider asking for replacements of the three aforementioned controversial candidates.

Cioloş will obviously act in French interests – because Sarkozy will push him to, and because he has such a strong admiration for the country himself. He may be qualified, but if kept on, he will have to be watched very closely for French interference. Oettinger’s appointment makes a mockery of the EU. Germany, supposedly one of the most pro-Europe member states, has dumped one of their own unfavorable politicians on Brussels, and in a high-ranking position at that. And finally, there is no excuse for the appointment of Geoghegan-Quinn. She was a corrupt justice minister, so its astonishing she was allowed in the Court of Auditors in the first place. It’s rather embarrassing that she is the best candidate Ireland could put forward. Her nomination suggests that corruption and scandal can in fact get you to high places, even if scandals are made public and are confirmed in Courts of Law.

When individuals like this are paid upwards of €238 000 per year, it is no wonder that citizens are skeptical about the EU and its legitimacy. Barroso must reconsider accepting these nominations, before the European Parliament realizes his errors in judgment and all Commissioners, including promising figures such as Malmström and Hedegaard pay the price.

Photo: Flickr/ European Parliament