Friday

29th Mar 2024

Free marketers in top commission posts

The new European Commission is set to have a distinctly liberal angle as the three of the top economic posts have gone to people who favour market liberalisation.

Competition, which is arguably the biggest portfolio in the European Commission, will be handled by the Dutch Neelie Kroes who comes from the free market liberal party, VVD, in the Netherlands.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • A free market slant in the new commission? (Photo: European Commission)

Meanwhile, the Briton Peter Mandelson will take on the trade portfolio. A close ally of UK prime minister Tony Blair, Mr Mandelson is also a strong proponent of free trade and is a former trade minister.

Responsible for the internal market and financial services is the Irishman Charlie McCreevy. He has been finance minister in Ireland for seven years and is known as a free marketer.

Another interesting appointment is of Ingrida Udre to look after taxation - she comes from Latvia, a country with very low corporate tax rates.

These appointments are likely to make it harder for France and Germany to push their traditionally more protectionist agenda.

All this is coupled by the fact that José Manuel Durão Barroso will personally take charge of reforming Europe's economy.

He is to chair a group of commissioners working on the so-called Lisbon Agenda - the EU's goal of making itself into the most dynamic economy in the world by 2010.

New impetus

Announcing his commission line-up on Thursday (12 August), the new president promised the Brussels executive would give "new impetus" to the European economy.

As Portuguese prime minister, he became known for pushing through tough reforms.

The new line-up has been praised in several quarters.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, whose man in Brussels (Günter Verheugen) has been made industry commissioner and vice-president said it was a "clever decision by the Commission president".

UEAPME, the organisation for small and medium enterprises praised the decision to make the industry commissioner a vice-president as well.

"This means that the new Commission is taking the challenges of the Lisbon Agenda seriously by placing the economic issues at the very heart of the EU executive", said Hans-Werner Müller, UEAPME's Secretary General.

Wilfried Martens, President of the European People's Party, the biggest political group in the European Parliament, said he is "delighted" with Mr Barroso's commission.

"The allocation of portfolios has achieved a successful balance that takes into consideration, not only the merits of the new Commissioners, but also the complex political and geographic realities of Europe", said Mr Martens.

'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told

Italian central banker Piero Cipollone in his first monetary policy speech since joining the ECB's board in November, said that the bank should be ready to "swiftly dial back our restrictive monetary policy stance."

Opinion

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us