Centre-right EPP in EU Parliament put hold on Rehn evaluation letter

Sniping between political groups continued Wednesday

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Olli Rehn, the Finnish nominee for the position of European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, found himself in the middle of political manoeuvring in the European Parliament again on Wednesday.
      The largest political group in the Parliament, the centre-right EPP, initially refused to put forward the evaluation letter concerning Rehn’s hearing before the Parliament’s Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs.
      The situation cleared up on Wednesday evening, but only after the Liberal group had made a similar move with the evaluation letter of a centre-right Commission nominee.
     
On Tuesday, the committee decided to recommend approval of Rehn as the Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner. However, the chair of the committee, Liberal Sharon Bowles, put off signing the letter until Wednesday.
      On Tuesday evening, there were further complications. The EPP group became less willing to cooperate with the others, when Bulgaria’s nominee Rumiana Jeleva was forced to withdraw her nomination under the pressure of widespread criticism.
      The disappointed EPP decided to refrain from signing the evaluation letters of Commission nominees from other political groups. Rehn, of the European Liberal group, was caught in the middle.
     
The Liberals responded to the EPP move by putting a freeze on the letter for Algirdas Semeta, a Lithuanian from the EPP camp, the nominee for Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud.
      The face-off ended on Wednesday evening.
     
Finnish MEP Carl Haglund (Swedish People’s Party), who is part of the Liberal group, criticised the EPP’s political game as childish. “This is bad political culture. Rehn already had the support of the committee.”
      MEP Ville Itälä (Nat. Coalition Party) of the EPP said that Bowels blundered when she postponed the Rehn letter.
      The European Parliament will vote on whether or not to approve the composition of the Commission on February 9th. Commission President José Manuel Barroso reiterated on Wednesday that there would be no reshuffles in the distribution of portfolios. The EPP pointed out that it has not called for any such changes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  MEPs want Rehn to show more vigour (19.1.2010)
  Rehn endorsed by European Parliament committee (20.1.2010)
  Olli Rehn comes under criticism in European Parliament (15.1.2010)
  Rehn gets gentle grilling in European Parliament (12.1.2010)

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