Rehn gets gentle grilling in European Parliament

MEPs apparently satisfied by performance of Finnish Commission nominee

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If Olli Rehn, the nominee for the position of European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, was nervous on Monday, he did not show it.
      And if the Members of the European Parliament putting questions to him during Monday’s hearing had any misgivings about his capabilities for the post, the doubts were also not apparent.
      Rehn was one of the first nominees for the Commission to appear before their respective panels in the European Parliament.
     
After the hearing before the European Parliament’s Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Rehn described the questioning as intense.
      However, nobody raised their voices, and nobody put forward questions that would have been completely unexpected.
     
As his main goals, Rehn listed economic growth, and greater unity in the EU in global economic decision-making.
      “Unemployment that has reached ten per cent is the greatest challenge”, he said.
     
Rehn first addressed the committee in German, in French, and English. After that, he answered questions in English, French, Finnish and Swedish.
      The MEPs asked more than 30 questions on Monday evening during the three hours that Olli Rehn was before them.
      “We need to strengthen the coordination of economic policy in the EU”, Rehn told his questioners. However, he gave few concrete examples.
      He promised that he would use all available tools so that the member states might get their public finances onto a stable foundation.
     
The MEPs were particularly interested in how to help Greece, which is suffering from serious economic difficulties.
      Rehn said that he expects the Greek government go put forward a concrete programme soon on how the country’s budget deficit and rapidly-growing state debt might be brought under control.
      Greece’s poor statistics make it difficult to evaluate the country’s economic situation.
      According to Rehn, Greece is not being pushed out of the common currency, the euro. This was seen as a smart thing to say, as it is not seen as a good idea for a nominee for the Commission to take stands on hot political issues.
      “It is unfortunate that we need to concentrate on Greece; it is not the only country that is having problems in its public finances”, Rehn said in response to one of many questions concerning Greece.
     
After the hearing, the Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs met behind closed doors to evaluate Rehn’s skills and abilities.
      According to sources at the meeting, nobody questioned Rehn’s expertise. Praise came especially from MEPs of the centre, the right, and the liberals.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Commissioner-designate Rehn studying up on economics (30.11.2009)
  Rehn gets Economic & Monetary Affairs Commissioner post (27.11.2009)
  Olli Rehn focuses on economic affairs in preparation for EU Commission portfolio shuffle (17.10.2009)
  Olli Rehn goes before European Parliament today (11.1.2010)
  Katainen briefed Rehn on ways of euro group (3.12.2009)

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