With the January hearings approaching, Hahn outlined his ambitions for the role.
The Austrian commissioner-designate sought to dispel possible criticism regarding his late interest in European affairs, claiming that he has been acting within a European dimension throughout his entire political life.
"I remember very well how intensively we promoted the Austrian accession to the then-European Community when I was working with other young politicians [and] members of the Junge ÖVP [the youth organisation of the conservative Austrian People's Party], even against sceptics in my own party," he claimed.
He also dismissed accusations by those who see his appointment to the European Commission as a way of downgrading his responsibilities in the ÖVP ahead of upcoming elections in Austria.
"If political competitors are criticising me, I mainly see this as the expression of indeed having achieved something."
He also played down criticism from those who claim that, by picking him, the Austrian authorities missed the opportunity to appoint a woman or a more experienced commissioner in the role. "In the People's Party, there were several qualified candidates, males and females. But the federal government has to find consensus for one person. The federal chancellor [Social Democrat Werner Faymann] as well as the deputy chancellor [Conservative Josef Pröll] chose me in the end."
Asked about his views on the EU's enlargement to Turkey, the Balkan countries and Ukraine, the commissioner-designate refrained from making political declarations, saying that the next steps in the procedures were clearly regulated. He underlined the role played by Austria in making negotiations with Turkey open-ended, and claimed that the whole issue should be subject to intensive self-questioning, not only on the part of Turkey, but also by Europe.
Hahn also commented on Austrians' perceptions of the Union by admitting that, although negative, "the attitude towards the EU has improved evidently in recent months".
"People realised how strongly the EU has acted as a protective shield in the period of crisis," he said. "This makes people confident. They believe in the EU. This trust has to be used to make clear that the EU is not only a shelter in a period of crisis but is also good as a home for everyday life."
