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Buttiglione crisis: six days to find a solution

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Published 15 October 2004 - Updated 29 June 2007
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Socialist MEPs have presented Commission president Barroso with a stiff challenge - to resolve the Buttiglione crisis by 21 October. EurActiv outlines the stakes and positions, and the results of all the commissioner hearings.

The chairmen of the EP political groups met on 13 October to discuss the results of the European Parliament hearings and in particular the rejection by two committees of Commissioner designates Buttiglione and Kovacs(see EurActiv, 13 October 2004). 

But the groups' leaders were unable to agree on a common set of specific requests to present Barroso with and Parliament President Josep Borrell simply  forwarded him the evaluation letters drawn up by the EP committee chairmen. This leaves it  entirely up to Barroso to find a solution. He has four main options: do nothing, adjust the content of portfolios, reshuffle or nominate new candidates. 

On 14 October, the controversial Italian Commissioner designate for Freedom, Justice and security hinted that he might "give up" his new job following criticisms on his statement that gays are sinners. "I have enough faith to give up a job in the Commission if need be," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 

Barroso said on 12 October he had full faith in his new team of 24 commissioners, including Buttiglione. Parliamentary sources said Buttiglione could get the job provided with guarantees that  his traditional views on homosexuality and marriage do not influence EU policy. 

EurActiv has compiled a table with the results of the hearings of the commissioner designates: 

 

Commissioner designate Portfolio Hearings' results - Evaluation letters by the EP committees Political groups'assessments EurActiv's coverage
Rocco Buttiglione  Freedom, Justice and Security 

- Rejection by Committee on

civil liberties, justice and home affairs   

- green light by  legal affairs  

EPP-ED:      Full confidence in Rocco Buttiglione (12 October 2004)

PES:      Socialists call for clarification following rejection of Buttiglione (11 October 2004)

EP committee rejects Buttiglione(12 October 2004)

Refugees must be better informed on legal ways to enter EU, says Buttiglione (7 October 2004)
László Kovács  Energy Rejection by Committee on  Committee on industry, reasearch and energy

PES:      Commissioner designate Kovács receives socialist support (30 September 2004)

Greens:     Kovacs fehlt Eignung als Energiekommissar  (12 October 2004)

 

 MEPs not impressed by László Kovács' performance (7 October 2004)
Ingrida Udre     Taxation and Customs Union    Green light with reservations from      Committee on economic and monetary affairs PES:     Socialists express serious reservations on Udre (7 October 2004) Socialist MEPs vent anger at Udre and Buttiglioni  (6 October 2004)
Mariann Fischer Boel     Agriculture and Rural Development    Green light with reservations from the      Committee on agriculture

PES:     socialists voice grave doubts over farm commissioner (6 October 2004)

Greens:    Overly vague and cautious Fischer Boel fails to impress  (7 October 2004)
Neelie Kroes  Competition Green light with reservations from the      Committee on economic and monetary affairs PES:     socialists accuse Kroes of being vague and evasive (28 Sepetmber 2004) Kroes: wrongdoing allegations are "unfounded and nonsensical" (29 September 2004)
Günter Verheugen  Enterprise and Industry Green light from      Committee on Industry, research and energy

PES:     Socialists acclaim outstanding presentation from Commissioner designate Verheugen

Greens:    Verheugen finds room for good words on environmental protection  (1 October 2004)

Competitiveness comes before environmental concerns, says Verheugen undefined

(1 October 2004)
Jacques Barrot  Transport Green light from      Committee on transport  PES:     Green light for transport commissioner (29 Sepetmber 2004 Barrot makes good impression at hearing (1 October 2004)
Margot Wallström Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy Green light from      Committee on constitutional affairs

EPP-ED:    Wallström receives strong support of Socialists (30 september 2004)

PES:     Wallström receives strong support of socialist MEPs (30 September 2004)

Siim Kallas  Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud Green light from Committee on      budgetary control 

PES:     Socialists to support Kallas: area of responsibility needs clarification (11 October 2004)
Viviane Reding Information Society and Media Green light from      Committee on Industry, research and energy PES:     hearing of commissioner designate Reding: pluralism in media remains prirority for socialists  (29 September 2004)
Stavros Dimas  Environment Green light with reservations from      Committee on environment

EPP-ED: 'We need more than just declarations of intention'  (29 September 2004)

Greens:    Greens doubt Dimas's environmental commitment (29 September 2004)

 Dimas lacks experience for top environment job, say most MEPs  (5 October 2004)
Joaquín Almunia Economic and Monetary Affairs Green light from      Committee on economic and monetary affairs PES:     Socialists welcome Almunia's emphasis on growth  (7 October 2004)
Danuta Hübner Regional Policy Green light from      Committee on regional development PES:     socialists welcome Hübner commitment to regions  (28 Sepetmber 2004) Hübner takes tough stance on EU budget and delocalisation  (29 september 2004)
Joe Borg Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Green light from      Committee on fisheries

EPP-ED:     Margie Sudre MdPE, interroge le nouveau Commissaire sur sa politique en faveur des Régions ultrapériphériques 

PES:     Fisheries chief gets a welcome and a warning  (5 October 2004) 
Dalia Grybauskaité  Financial Programming and Budget Green light from      Committee on budgets

EPP-ED:     Commissioner designate on budget must become more concrete (29 september 2004)

PES:     Best performance so far  (28 Sepetmber 2004)
Janez Potocnik Science and Research Green light from      Committee on industry, reasearch and energy PES:     support for nomination of Commisisoner designate Potocnik Simplifying access to EU funding is priority for Potocnik  (5 October 2004)
Ján Figel'  Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism Green light from      Committee on education adnculture and Committee on employment and social affairs

EPP-ED:     Designated EU commissioner has to understand education and culture as part of Europe's soul  (28 September 2004)

PES:     We can give the green light to Figel  (28 September 2004)

 Figel fully behind efforts to reach Lisbon Target (5 October 2004)
Markos Kyprianou  Health and Consumers Protection Green light from      Committee on environment , public health and food safety and committee on internal market and consuemer protection PES:     Positive reaction to Kyprianou  (8 October 2004) Incoming health Commissioner takes up fight against smoking (11 October 2004)
Olli Rehn  Enlargement Green light from      Committee on foreign affairs PES:     Future EU enlargement will need pragmatism and vision  (4 October 2004)  Turkey given a 'conditional' green light  (5 October 2004)
Louis Michel  Development and Humanitarian Aid Green light from      Committee on development PES:     Michel receives socialist support   (6 October 2004)
Benita Ferrero-Waldner  External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Green light from      Committee on Foreign affairs PES:     Not much daylight and a great deal of shadow during Ferrero-Waldner performance at the EP (5 October 2004) Ferrero-Waldner's 'charm offensive' convinces MEPs  (6 October 2004)
Charlie McCreevy  Internal Market and Services Green light from      committee on internal market and consumer protection PES:     McCreevy must be more Commission-minded and less Council-minded  (8 October 2004)
Vladimir Špidla - Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Green light from      Committee on employment and social affairs and      Committee on women's rights

EPP-ED:     Hearing of Commissioner designate for social affairs Vladimír Špidla: Vague, not very substantial, but acceptable (27 September 2004)

PES:     Green light for social and equal oppourtunities commissioner (27 September 2004)
Peter Mandelson  Trade Green light from      Committee on trade 

PES:     Euro MPs praise mandelson's stunning presentation (4 October 2004)

Greens: 

Mandelson risks opening up vast 'credibility gap' between promises and delivery

(4 October 2004)

 Mandelson breezes through Parliament hearing (4 October 2004)
Positions: 

Parliament President Josep Borrell told journalists that after meeting the political groups' leaders he was sure that Barroso would take the results of the hearings into consideration. "The ball is in Barroso's court. We don't want blood but we do require that our position is respected. If he wants to put his head in the sand and suppose that he can ignore the parliament he should not be surprised if MEPs vote down the entire commission," he said.

The leader of the European Parliament's Socialist Group, Martin Schulz, has sharply criticised Commission President José Manuel Barroso for not communicating directly with Parliament on the allocation of portfolios within the incoming Commission.  "Our position regarding Mr Buttiglione is well-known: his comments on women and gay people make him entirely unsuited to the role allocated to him by Mr Barroso. You cannot build a Europe for the 21st century based on 19th century values. We expect that Mr Barroso will take on board our views when he meets with Parliamentary leaders next week. A change in portfolio responsibilities regarding Mr Buttiglione is the absolute minimum we expect," he said.  Mr Schulz warned, along with Socialist Vice-Presidents, Jan Marinus Wiersma and Hannes Swoboda, that if Mr Barroso fails to take action regarding Mr Buttiglione, "we will propose that the Socialist Group vote against confirmation of the new Commission."

After the meeting of the groups' chairmen with EP President Borrell, Monica Frassoni, leader of the European greens, spoke out against a collusion beween the EPP-ED  the European socialists.  The Greens/EFA Group regrets that the Presidents of the European Peoples Party, the Socialists and the Liberals were not willing to support a proposal from Parliament's President Josep Borrell to explicitly highlight the problematic cases among the Commissioners designate, including the cases of Rocco Buttiglione and Laszlo Kovacs. (...) We need to put Barroso under pressure now but instead we are loosing precious time.  The leaders of the big groups have demonstrated that they are unready to take the Committee hearings seriously," she said.
Next steps: 
  • Commission President Barroso will meet with the presidents of the political groups in the EP on 21 October. 
  • The Parliament will vote on 27 October on whether to accept or reject the 25-strong commission as a whole. It does not have the right to veto individual members. 
  • If approved the new Commission will start its five year term of office on 1 November.   
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Background: 

The new Commission, set up by former Portuguese Prime Minister Barroso, needs the European Parliament's approval before it can take up its duties. Between 27 September and 11 October, each of the 25 Commissioner designates went through a hearing with the parliamentary committee whose area of competence corresponds to that particular commissioner's policy area.

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