Juncker, who told EPP colleagues Thursday that “if [Selmayr] goes, I go,” has faced sustained questions ever since about how his key ally — widely admired and feared in Brussels for his ruthless reputation — managed to secure a position that will see him stay at the apex of EU power after Juncker’s own mandate expires in 2019.
The affair caused such outrage that after sending more than a hundred questions to the Commission, the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee will hold a public hearing on the issue next week with Günther Oettinger, the human resources commissioner. MEPs are also set to vote on a resolution on the nomination of Selmayr on April 19 (although no matter the result, they can’t do anything about his appointment). [...]
Macron made a plea for transparency and praised the free press, admitting he “fully understood” the reactions to Selmayr’s super-fast promotion. He also encouraged journalists and the European Parliament to continue examining the issue. [...]
“To anyone who thinks because he’s a German citizen that he does what suits Germany, that’s not the impression that we have,” Merkel told reporters. “He makes decisions in a very European way. He’s also someone who pays attention to efficiency when it comes to decisions — who makes sure decisions are actually implemented. And I very much welcome that because some processes in Europe take a very long time
No comments:
Post a Comment