Barnier's stint as commissioner-designate started off on the wrong foot somewhat.
His new boss, José Manuel Barroso, appeared irritated by the French commissioner-designate's recent decision to give an interview to a major national newspaper.
"As he would have acted with any commissioner, President Barroso asked him to stop making statements to the press and to get to work," one EU official said.
Barnier's lack of experience with internal market policies, the position to which Barroso assigned him in his new line-up, is expected to be his main weakness during his Parliament hearing on 13 January.
On the whole, the Frenchman has no specific experience in the field nor has he mastered the intricacies of the banking industry, which he will be called upon to regulate in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
But Jean-Dominique Giuliani, president of a French think-tank close to Michel Barnier's political group (the European People's Party), does not see this as a handicap.
"European commissioners are not supposed to be super-technicians: an overall vision of things is favoured instead," said Giuliani.
Appeasing tensions with London
Barnier's appointment to the internal market portfolio made headlines in Britain as the Frenchman will be in charge of drafting rules for the financial services industry, which is mainly based in London.
In particular, he stands accused of being too close to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who famously described Barnier's nomination to the internal market portfolio as a "victory" for France and a big loss for Britain (EurActiv 30/11/09).
Sarkozy's statement tiggered a heated reaction in the City. The French president praised the "triumph in Europe" of "French ideas concerning regulation," which British bankers interpreted as a "declaration of war".
Since then, Barnier has tried to appease such tensions. He appointed a Franco-British person as his spokesperson: Chantal Hugues. More importantly, Barnier will be supported by a British director-general - Jonathan Faull – and will have to work in close collaboration with Sharon Bowles, another Briton who chairs the economic and monetary affairs committee in the European Parliament.
"Barnier has been a commissioner before: he is perfectly aware of procedures," Giuliani said, dismissing suggestions that the Frenchman would be controlled by Paris. He adds that Barnier is experienced enough to understand how the Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council work since he has been a member of all three institutions.
"A French politician's way of thinking in this post will be more political," said Giuliani, explaining that in comparison, a British commissioner would have been linked too closely to the City of London.
In a questionnaire handed to MEPs before his hearing, Barnier also defended equality of treatment between European countries. "Both when travelling and in meetings, I will place great emphasis, as I always have done, on equal treatment of all member states," Barnier told MEPs in a sign of appeasement towards London.
His collaborative and open attitude could indeed be appreciated in London. NGOs that worked with Barnier when he was agriculture minister describe him as someone open to dialogue and consultation, even if he did not revolutionise farm policy during his term in office. They appreciated the fact that he received them five times during the two years he spent as agriculture minister to discuss various issues.
Three priorities
Barnier's written answers to lawmakers' questions ahead of the 13 January hearing offer an insight into his ambitions.
"You don't fall in love with the internal market," the French commissioner writes, quoting former Commission President Jacques Delors. "Yet these concerns are at the heart of all of our lives as Europeans," he adds.
'Reinforcing the single market' tops Barnier's list of "three priorities". Next come exit strategies from the economic crisis and developing a knowledge-based economy. Barnier says he wants to "evaluate the single market in depth" in order to reinforce the Union's position in the world.
As far as regulation is concerned, the French commissioner will have to finalise the reforms that his Irish predecessor Charlie McCreevy had undertaken. In this context, Barnier advocated "efficient" market regulation, without creating excessive obstacles for industry.
Lastly, the new commissioner says he wants to adapt Europe's intellectual property strategy to challenges such as digitisation. He insisted that it is necessary to carry through negotiations on a European patent and on a uniform system to solve patent-related legal cases.
Besides these stated priorities, Barnier produced an extensive list of the measures he intends to implement over the five next years. The programme includes revising the Capital Requirements Directive for the fourth time, and the creation of a contingency fund for deposits and bank bankruptcy.
Barnier also said he intended to "revisit" the Markets in Financial Instruments (MiFID) and the Market Abuse Directives, adding that a deadline should be set regarding the migration of direct debit and credit transfer to SEPA (Single European Payment Area) products.
