Candidates ready and waiting

The politicians nominated in the next Barroso Commission will spend their Christmas holidays studying. On January 11-19 the Commissioners-designate will undergo hearings by European Parliament portfolio committees. The new College will take office after the EP’s final consent vote and the ensuing European Council ratification, due to take place by February.[Previous fact sheet in SIR Europe, n. 85/11 December 2009]An “efficient” College. The EP committee covering the area of competence of each commissioner will hold hearings. It will be a real and true Q and A session that will evaluate the commissioners-designate on the basis of their general competence, their “European commitment” and their “personal independence” from the Member State they belong to. Indeed the Commissioner is the guarantor in the Treaties and is tasked with the defense of EU interests, and not of individual Member States’. President José Manuel Barroso summoned the candidates several times already. In his letters to each Commissioner Barroso remarked that the Executive’s efficiency also depends on “successful partnership with the Member States and the other institutions, in particular with the European Parliament”.Several forty-year-olds. Two key posts in Barroso’s new team are assigned to the candidates from Bucharest and La Valletta. Romanian Dacian Ciolos, is the youngest commissioner designate, born in 1969. He describes himself as politically “indipendent”. He will be at the lead of agriculture and rural development. The forty-year-old has already been the minister of agriculture in his own country. John Dalli, b. 1948, from Malta, served as minister more than once, a member of the Nationalist Party that refers to the EEP, will be responsible for Health and Consumer Policy. Maros Sevcovic, from Slovakia, is Vice-President for Inter-institutional Relations and Administration. Sevcovic, b.1966, is the outgoing Education Commissioner. He served as a diplomat and is not a member of a European political group. Hungarian economist László Andor, also born in 1966, was appointed Commissioner designate of Social Affairs and Inclusion. He is not a member of a political party, but held different posts for the Socialists in his Country. Rumiana Jeleva, forty-year-old from Bulgaria, former Foreign Minister in Sofia and MEP (PPE) will be in charge of International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. Responsibilities and “political groups”. Connie Hedegaard, 49, from Denmark, is a member of the EEP. She coordinated preparations in view of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. Former minister of the environment, she is responsible for the new portfolio on Climate Action. Vice-President Antonio Tajani, 56, commissioner delegate for Industry and Entrepreneurship, with academic background in law, journalist, is a member of the same political group. He served as MEP in previous legislatures and is the outgoing Transport commissioner. Siim Kallas is also designated for the vice-Presidency. He is charged with the post previously occupied by Tajani. Born in Estonia in 1948, Liberal-democrat, he was premier, foreign minister and minister of the economy, former-Audit and Anti-Fraud Commissioner. Important portfolios were assigned also to Poland and Austria. Janusz Lewandowski, economist, born in 1951, former MEP in the People’s party (in Warsaw he is a member of the Civic Platform) is tasked with Budget and Financial Programming. Johannes Hahn from Austria is the commissioner designate for Regional Policy. Born in 1957, representative of the People’s Party, he served as minister of Research. Known and new faces. Maria Damanaki, 57, chemical engineer from Greece, was designated to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. She served as MP for the Socialist party. Czech Stefan Füle, diplomat, b. 1962, doesn’t belong to a political group. He was the Minister of EC affairs in Prague. Barroso entrusted him the Enlargement and Neighbourhood policy portfolio. Karel De Gucht from Belgium (1954, Flemish Liberal), former Development Commissioner and Foreign minister, is the commissioner designate for Trade. He passed to the EEP from the Liberal party. Former minister Andris Piebalgs, 52, physicist from Latvia was in the Liberal group before passing to the EEP. He was formerly in charge of Energy. He is commissioner designate in charge of Development. Máire Geoghegan Quinn, from Ireland, was nominated commissioner in charge of Innovation and Research. She will soon turn 60. A former teacher and minister in several legislatures, she is a member of Fianna Fáil, that is part of the Liberal Party at European level. Outgoing Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik from Slovenia will be in charge of the Environment. Born in 1958, economist, independent, served as minister for Community Policies. Androulla Vassiliou, 65, Liberal, former Consumer Policy Commissioner, is the new Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth commissioner.