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Does the European Parliament ask the right
questions?
There was a time when European Commissioners were dedicated to the European
Project. To be a European Commissioner was a great honour and great
responsibility and it would be entrusted to people who really wanted to make a
difference for Europe. It was about the project, not about them.
Reading the press about Phil Hogan’s ambitions to lead the World Trade
Organization, following the footsteps of Kristalina Georgieva who resigned the
Commission to head the World Bank, I cannot help but ask myself: what did these
people say to the European Parliament when they were asked about their
motivation? Did they put their personal career ahead of their vision of Europe,
or behind it? Did they say to the Parliament: “I really want this job, but if I
find a better one, I may jump.”
Going back to the records of those interviews, I found only vague statements
of motivation. Nothing comparing their commitment to Europe to their commitment
to their personal career ambitions.
When Martin Bangemann announced his move to Telefonica – after the
resignation of the Santer Commission - there was an uproar. The same happened
when Jose Manuel Barroso moved to Goldman Sachs. There is something really
unsettling in the idea that public office is a step in one’s career. The public
cannot trust that the person put the public interest ahead of their personal
interest. And yet, putting the public interest ahead of personal interest is the
most important requirement of public office.
So when I hear about Commissioners wanting to quit the Commission for a
better job, I wonder about the process of selection of European Commissioners
and their interview at the European Parliament. I ask myself: did these people
mislead the Parliament or did the Parliament simply not ask the question?
26/06/2020 |
