The controversial appointment of Martin Selmayr as Secretary-General of the Commission continues to receive broad coverage in European and US media. Yesterday, the topic was discussed at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. There were no new arguments put forward by the MEPs during the discussion, Delo reports.
However, the MEPs criticised that the filling of the post was not formally correct, but conducted without advertising and consultation, most media report. They especially criticized a “lack of transparency” in the affair, as several outlets report. While President Juncker and Commissioner Oettinger defend the propriety of the decision, many parliamentarians not only fear increased German influence in the European Commission, but also increased influence of the European People’s Party (EPP), writes Süddeutsche Zeitung.
MEP Sophie In´t Veld (ALDE) and MEP Sven Giegold (Greens-EFA) criticise that the Commission will lose credibility in light of this “act of cronyism.” Ms in’t Veld stated that things had now become worse and that the Commission needs to choose between Mr Selmayr’s career and the EU’s reputation, Aftonbladet.se reports. “The Commission thinks the MEPs are morons,” Ms in’t Veld said, reacting to Commissioner Oettinger’s justifications, La Libre Belgique and Dutch media report. “There is no doubt and it was never questioned whether Martin Selmayr has all necessary qualities for the position of European Commission Secretary-General. […] He has pro-European views and the trust of President Juncker, as well as mine and that of the entire Commission,” Commissioner Oettinger stated, Bulgarian National Television Newscast reports.
The Irish Independent reports that Commissioner Hogan has staunchly defended both President Juncker and Mr Selmayr, saying that his appointment was made in “full conformity with the rules of the European Commission” and “unanimously agreed by the College of Commissioners.” President Juncker also emphasised that everything complied with the normal practice of the Commission, Salzburger Nachrichten reports.
The way Mr Selmayr was appointed to the highest position of the Commission’s administration “destroyed all the credibility of the EU as a champion of integrity and transparency in public administration at a time when public trust is low,” Ms in’t Veld said, dinheirovivo.pt reports. Meanwhile, the European Ombudsman, an independent EU body that looks into wrongdoing, was yesterday considering an investigation as well, The Daily Mail reports.
According to Arte, Mr Selmayr’s nomination represents all the suspicions the citizens have against European institutions: opacity, nepotism, and lack of democracy. While he used to be President Juncker’s Chief of Staff, Mr Selmayr now occupies one of the most powerful position of the European political scene, and leads some 32,000 officials.
Political scientist Yiorgos Vassalos remarks on Greek radio station Athina that this is the first time that somebody is appointed at this post without prior being Head of one of the Commission’s Directorates-General and that this is the third “sensitive” post that is given to a German. The controversial appointment of Mr Selmayr proves that the Commission is blind to the scepticism among many European citizens about Brussels and everything that goes with it, Hans van Soest comments in Algemeen Dagblad.
In De Tijd, Bart Haeck says that Mr Selmayr’s appointment damages the EU’s credibility, adding that only four in ten Europeans trust the Commission: “The Eurocratic manner displayed in this appointment (and in calling a journalist Robespierre) will not help change this negative image.” In Münchner Merkur, Verena Schmitt-Roschmann calls Mr Selmayr “the man almost nobody knows outside of Brussels”,but who is called “Juncker’s monster” within the EU. She wonders if his career will survive the outrage. In a commentary in Il Foglio, David Caretta says Mr Selmayr’s appointment “breaks all limits” of what is considered “institutionally and democratically acceptable”.
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