PM Vanhanen says that crisis looms if no Commission is found soon

Matti Vanhanen

Rocco Buttiglione

José Manuel Barroso

Göran Persson

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Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) regards it as possible that even further changes will be made to the new EU Commission, in addition to the replacement of Italy’s controversial Rocco Buttiglione, who withdrew his candidacy on Saturday.
     
"Currently, no one knows exactly how many changes there will be. It is quite possible that one replacement is not enough, and this will be decided upon within the next few days", said Vanhanen in Stockholm on Sunday.
     
A meeting of the Nordic and Baltic Prime Ministers was held in Stockholm shortly before the latest session of the Nordic Council, which starts today.
      According to Vanhanen, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso might be the only person who knows the scale of the adjustments he has to make to ensure the approval of the new Commission by the European Parliament.
      At the same time, Vanhanen stressed that it remains the right of the member countries to name their Commissioner-designates.
     
Vanhanen hoped that there would be as few changes as possible and that they would take place without delay.
      "If the awkward situation cannot be resolved rather rapidly, there is a risk that it will turn to a crisis. If no solution is found in a week or two, it will become increasingly difficult", Vanhanen warned.
     
The Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson called the situation of the EU Commission "dramatic".
      Last week Barroso withdrew the names that he had proposed for the next Commission, as it was likely that the Parliament would not support it.
      The primary cause for criticism was Italy's Commissioner-designate Rocco Buttiglione, who had drawn fire from the MEPs because of his conservative views on homosexuality and the position of women.
      There have been rumours about even further changes of designates, including Hungary’s Laszslo Kovacs, Holland’s Neelie Kroes, Latvia’s Ingrida Udre, and Denmark’s Mariann Fischer Boel.
     
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Latvia’s PM Indulis Emsis announced on Sunday, however, that they have no plans to change their Commissioner-designates.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  PM Vanhanen stresses EU Commission's independence of European Parliament (29.10.2004)

Links:
  The European Commission
  The Nordic Council Session 2004

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