Slovakia’s Commission choice under attack

Conservatives threaten to veto Slovakia’s commissioner-designate and defend Bulgaria’s nominee.

The European People’s Party has said it cannot accept Maroš Šefčovič as vice-president of the European Commission because of allegedly anti-Roma comments made by Slovakia’s commissioner-designate.

Speaking in Brussels this afternoon, József Szájer, a Hungarian MEP co-ordinating the European People’s Party’s preparation and positions for hearings of the EU member states’ nominees to the new European Commission, said that Šefčovič was “unacceptable” because, according to Szájer, he described Roma as “exploiters of the Slovak welfare system” in 2005.

“It is unacceptable for any person to have responsibility for equal opportunities if they have discriminatory views,” Szájer said.

As well as serving as one of the Commission’s vice-presidents, Šefčovič would hold the education, training and culture portfolio, a brief that includes civil society.

Szájer said that the EPP would ask Šefčovič to explain his views to MEPs in Strasbourg next Monday (18 January), when he will seek endorsement for his appointment to the incoming Commission.

Šefčovič, a former ambassador to Israel and Slovakia’s permanent representative to the EU in 2004-09, was nominated by Slovakia’s centre-left prime minister, Robert Fico.

Bulgarian commissioner defended

Szájer also said that Rumiana Jeleva, the Bulgarian commissioner-designate for humanitarian aid, had been unfairly treated by MEPs in her hearing before the development committee on Tuesday (12 January).

Jeleva, who was nominated by Bulgaria’s right-of-centre prime minister, had been subject to a “witch hunt” and “premeditated attack”, Szajer said. 

Allegations made against her in the hearing about her financial interests were “unfounded”, Szájer said, and he vowed that the EPP would “defend her and the integrity of her person”.

Szájer said there were “minor technical allegations” against Jeleva and that they should be cleared up by the Bulgarian authorities.

Jeleva was considered by independent observers to have performed very poorly in her hearing, failing both to respond adequately to accusations that she had failed to declare interest in a consultancy firm while an MEP and to demonstrate adequate knowledge of her portfolio as commissioner for humanitarian aid.

Not an act of retaliation

Szájer rejected suggestions that the EPP was trying to take Šefčovič hostage in case the centre-right’s political opponents in the parliament tried to force Jeleva out.

That would be a “false impression”, he said.

Once the hearings are finished, the leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups will decide whether to recommend each candidate for their post.

The entire European Parliament will vote on 26 January.

The Parliament cannot decide to reject individual MEPs but can threaten to reject the entire Commission unless candidates or portfolios are changed.

The Parliament has so far held hearings for ten commissioners-designate. The hearings continue until 19 January.

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