The chances of the new European Commission beginning its work on 1 February wobbled this week because of poor performances at their hearings in the European Parliament by Bulgarian nominee Rumiana Jeleva and Lithuanian Algirdas Šemeta.

After the hearings, Jeleva, who has been assigned the portfolio of humanitarian aid and crisis response, and Šemeta, who has been assigned audit, anti-fraud, taxation and customs union, came in for fierce criticism from socialist MEPs. Both commissioners-designate are from the centre-right European People’s party (EPP).

Roma comments

In turn, Hungarian centre-right MEP Jozsef Szajer, the EPP co-ordinator for the commissioners’ hearings, launched a strike against Maroš Šefc?ovic?, Slovakia’s commissioner-designate, a socialist. Szajer said that Šefc?ovic? was “unacceptable” as a vice-president of the Commission because, according to Szajer, he had said in a speech in 2005 that Roma people were “exploiters of the Slovak welfare system”.

“It is unacceptable for any person to have responsibility for equal opportunities if they have discriminatory views,” he said.

Szajer said that the EPP would be asking Šefc?ovic? to explain his views at his hearing before MEPs in Strasbourg on Monday (18 January).

Szajer’s criticisms came after a difficult Tuesday for the EPP candidates Jeleva and Šemeta. Szajer defended Jeleva and rejected suggestions that the EPP was trying to take Šefc?ovic? hostage in case the centre-right’s political opponents tried to force her out.

Hannes Swoboda, an Austrian socialist MEP, said of Jeleva: “She did not convince us of her knowledge of the portfolio. Her answers were not relevant.” Jeleva was also accused of failing to be completely transparent about her business interests.

According to a statement issued on 12 January, the Socialists and Democrats group will not recommend Jeleva for her post until questions surrounding her financial interests have been resolved.

Šemeta, the Lithuanian commissioner-designate for audit, anti-fraud, taxation and customs union, also failed to impress MEPs. Swoboda said that the overwhelming impression he gave at his hearing was “disappointment, which leads us to question his suitability to be nominated for this important commission portfolio”.

MEPs challenged Šemeta’s plan to make OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud office, fully independent from the Commission, saying that it could weaken OLAF’s ability to investigate fraud. They also criticised him for giving vague answers on how to make member states improve the quality of their financial controls, how to deal with tax havens, and tightening up the code of conduct for commissioners.

Dissatisfaction with those two commissioners is unlikely to be enough to delay the advent of a new Commission, because the EPP would not be prepared to see them fall without balance on the other side of the political spectrum.

Socialist nominees

That in turn increases the pressure on those candidates for the Commission with a socialist affiliation. A poor performance by one of them might encourage centre-right MEPs to join in and encourage the Parliament as a whole to threaten to reject the line-up proposed by José Manuel Barroso. Štefan Füle and László Andor, two of the socialist newcomers, acquitted themselves well on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively (12-13 January). But next week, the spotlight will shift in particular to Šefc?ovic?, who has been designated as commissioner for administration and inter-institutional relations, and Maria Damanaki, Greece’s nominee, who is to be commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries. Šefc?ovic? will appear before MEPs on Monday (18 January) in Strasbourg. Damanaki’s hearing will be one of the last, on Tuesday evening (19 January).

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Once the hearings are finished, the leaders of the Parliament’s political groups will decide whether to recommend each candidate for their post. On 26 January the whole Parliament will vote on whether to accept or reject the entire College of commissioners.