Prodi to give statement on possible transition of Erkki Liikanen to Bank of Finland

Olli Rehn seen as possible successor for remainder of Commission term

Romano Prodi

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The Finnish government expects to get a statement from European Commission President Romano Prodi on the timetable for the possible transfer of Erkki Liikanen, the Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society, to the post of Governor of the Bank of Finland.
      Liikanen was recently put forward by the Parliamentary Supervisory Council of the Finnish central bank to succeed Matti Vanhala. The final choice is with President Tarja Halonen, who is expected to announce the decision on Friday.
     
Prodi is expected to give a statement on whether or not early July, which was seen as an appropriate time for a transition by the Parliamentary Supervisory Council, is suitable from the Commission’s point of view, or if Liikanen would be seen to have a conflict of interest from the day of his possible appointment to the new post.
      A third option would be for Liikanen to continue in his post as Commissioner until the end of his term, which concludes at the end of October.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) is to discuss the issue by telephone with Prodi. Vanhanen’s office says that the telephone call will probably not take place before Wednesday, due to Prodi’s busy schedule.
     
If Prodi were to decide that Liikanen would have a conflict of interest from the moment of his possible appointment as Governor of the Bank of Finland, the government would have to rush through a decision on a new Finnish commissioner.
      According to Antti Peltomäki, Secretary of State for EU affairs, a new commissioner would have to be in office on Monday next week.
      Peltomäki notes that when another member of the Commission, Michel Barnier, recently took the post of French Minister of Finance, the new French Commissioner was immediately available.
     
The strongest candidate to take Liikanen's place for the remainder of his term on the Commission is Prime Minister Vanhanen’s economic advisor Olli Rehn, who also served as Liikanen’s cabinet chief in Brussels, and would probably be in a position to take up the post quickly.
      Peltomäki does not believe that the Commission has any written rules on whether or not a person who has been appointed to head a national central bank can continue as a member of the European Commission. 


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Erkki Liikanen proposed as new Governor of Bank of Finland (16.4.2004)

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