Ex-prime ministers could get management roles in next Commission

Summer blog: A shake-up of the Commission’s structure could give former national leaders more influence.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president-elect of the European Commission, is reported to be considering giving management roles to former prime ministers who are members of the college of commissioners.

The ex-prime ministers would take on a ‘filter’ role between the president and the rest of the commissioners, according to Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.

This potential shake-up of the Commission’s structure could give these ‘ministers without portfolio’ greater influence as they would be co-ordinating the work of commissioners with more traditional portfolios.

Click Here: new zealand rugby team jerseys

There is ongoing speculation about a possible change in the Commission’s structure. With the expansion of the Union to 28 members, not all countries are able to secure a heavyweight post in the Commission, leading to calls for a division between ‘senior’ and ‘junior’ portfolios.

Commenting on the rumours in Finnish media, Olli Rehn, a former commissioner and now an MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament, questioned the benefits of filter roles. “A weighty portfolio is the best way to ensure influence,” he said.

Three countries have put forward a former prime minister as their candidate for the next Commission – Finland, Latvia and Estonia.

When Rehn left to become a member of the European Parliament in July, Jyrki Katainen took over the portfolio dealing with economic and monetary affairs and the euro until the end of the Barroso Commission.

Katainen’s prominent role as an interim commissioner was no great surprise as he stepped down as Finland’s prime minister in April to seek a heavyweight EU post such as president of the European Council or, as a former finance minister, president of the Eurogroup.

But in July he said that he is not expecting to get any of those top jobs and is instead hoping for a post “focused on the economy” in the next college.

Estonia’s nominee, Andrus Ansip, resigned in March after a fall in support for his centre-right Reform Party. He had been prime minister since 2005 and set a record as the longest-serving leader in the European Union.

Ansip stood as a candidate in the European Parliament elections but choose not to take up his seat when the current prime minister, Taavi Rõivas, nominated him as the country’s next commissioner. Ansip has expressed a preference for the monetary affairs portfolio, though he would also like to deal with energy, neighbourhood policy or regional policy.

The Latvian government has nominated Valdis Dombrovskis. He resigned as the country’s prime minister after four years in November 2013 following the collapse of a supermarket in Riga. He stood as a candidate in the European Parliament elections, receiving the highest number of personal preference votes. Dombrovskis, a member of the centre-right Unity party, has said that he would be interested in an economic or financial portfolio.

Juncker, who is still waiting for official nominations from five countries, is working on the composition of the next college.

On 30 August, a special European Council will take place, with decisions on top jobs expected to be taken.