Fico congratulates Šefčovič on getting ‘trade war’ portfolio

The Slovak government is pleased with the portfolio given to its nominee, five-time commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, who has added trade, economic security and transparency to his roster, while Transparency International Slovakia reminds of his "non-transparent" 2019 presidential campaign.

Slovak Prime Minister and Smer leader Robert Fico appears to regard his nominee's position as a clear victory, even though Šefčovič has been demoted from the executive vice-presidency position to only being a regular commissioner. In this capacity, he is set to report to Frenchman Stéphane Séjourne of France if the two pass MEP vetting.

“I congratulate our Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, on winning one of the most important and significant portfolios within the European Commission,” Fico said, adding that his portfolio will relate to “various trade wars that the EU sometimes wages with certain countries”.

The past year's events suggest that Šefčovič will continue to pursue a cautious policy towards the EU's economic competitors. Brussels has already imposed high tariffs on electric cars from China, faces tough competition from the US, and is amid contentious talks on a trade deal with Mercosur.

Šefčovič will continue to oversee inter-institutional relations but has been given the new task of overseeing transparency, a portfolio that was previously in the hands of Czech Vice President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová.

“Thus, transparency in the EU is now to fall under the nomination of Smer and the current Slovak government, which has a very problematic relationship with public control, civil society and the media at home,” the organisation wrote on social media, pointing to transparency issues in Šefčovič's own 2019 presidential campaign, in which he ran unsuccessfully as a Smer candidate.

At the time, Šefčovič said he “truly does not understand how the transparency of his campaign can be questioned”, as the organisation criticised him for concealing details of campaign spending and his unwillingness to complete Transparency's detailed asset declaration.

While Smer MEP Katarína Roth Neveďalová hailed his portfolio as a “good signal that the EU wants to further engage with other countries around the world,” opposition MEP and Parliament Vice-President Martin Hojsík (Progressive Slovakia, Renew) pointed out “that Šefčovič will be in charge of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels from Russia”.

Hojsík also believes that the “very weak positions” of Fico and Slovakia’s president Peter Pellegrini contributed to Šefčovič’s loss of an executive vice-presidency position.

Another opposition MEP, Miriam Lexmann (KDH, EPP), said she would prepare “tough questions” for the nominee, as the Smer-led Slovak government is “failing to protect our economic security in its investment actions”.

Three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Slovakia remains heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels and was the EU's biggest importer overall in July this year. Fico's government also has no qualms about welcoming Chinese investment, doling out €214 million in subsidies and tax exemptions for an electromobility project in the Nitra region.

(Barbara Zmušková | Euractiv.sk)