Juncker’s Grand Renewal. Which way

is the wind blowing in the Commission?

July 2015

Like a thief in the night the European Commission reshuffled several important (non political) Civil Servants.

The final act of this reshuffle by the Juncker Commission is the appointment of a new Secretary-General and new Directors-General and Deputy Directors-General.

The reshuffle is more complicated than it looks since it has to balance experience, nationality and gender.

Right in the middle of the Greek drama

The idea behind the President’s reshuffle is nothing new:

to limit the influence of the Directorates-General (i.e., bureaucrats) over the Commission’s initiatives.

In fact, the President of the Commission is apparently frightened that he might one day find out from the newspapers that he has inadvertently proposed a regulation forbidding the use of oil cruets in restaurants, or a directive about how curved a banana has to be to be called a banana…

Playing musical chairs?

Listen to believe

“Politicians, in other words the Commissioners, have to be fully responsible and informed about all

the activities of their Directorates-General”

was the anonymous comment by a source close to the President of the Commission.

“The bottom-up process has to stop”

Juncker’s words are a tad argumentative; they betray his intention (and the need?) to ensure that Commissioners dictate to the bureaucrats and not vice versa…

In March 2015 Juncker decided not to use the (extremely political) appointment system discussed and decided by the Commission alone. Instead he decided to proceed as follows: in a sealed envelope each Commissioner proposes three names (one must be a woman) for every post of Director-General to be filled (April);

the President consults the relevant Vice-Presidents on the proposals submitted to him (May);the new appointments are decided (before the summer).

An unsual appointment method

Once upon a time Catherine Day was Secretary-General of the European Commission headed by José Manuel Barroso.A key figure in all decision-making processes, she filtered national interests (but gave Germany special consideration).A courageous official said:

“During the Barroso era, Catherine had to approve everything”

A key position occupied by a woman of steel who feared nothing during the difficult years of the Barroso Presidency: the refusal by France and The Netherlands to ratify the European Constitution, for example, not to mention the eurozone crisis.

The bastion of the Barroso era

Ever since Juncker replaced Barroso as President in July 2014, the German Martin Selmayr, a veteran Eurocrat, took over the extremely political role of Head of Cabinet and succeeded in becoming the shadow President of the Commission.As the kingpin of all decisions, involved in all negotiations, he is also the deus ex machina of any changes to Commission appointments.

For example, he is behind the departure of the most symbolic official of the Barroso era: yes, Catherine Day, the extremely powerful euro-bureaucrat!

The exception proves the rule Selmayr’s masterstroke

In her email to all EU officials she wrote:

“The time has come for me to move on to the next stage of my life…The President has accepted my wish to retire. I know how much I owe to your hard work. More than ever before the Secretariat-General plays a key role in the life of the Commission”

Day says goodbye in an email…

President Juncker has avoided moving people between Directorates that are facing emergencies.

The rationale behind change

Accordingly, the Greek crisis and ensuing fear of contagion have saved Marco Buti despite the many years spent at the head of the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs.

The difficult immigration issue has also saved Matthias Ruete who remains at DG Immigration and Home Affairs.

Prior to that, he worked in the cabinets of two Commission Presidents – Jacques Santer and Manuel Barroso – and the cabinet of the German Commissioner Günter Verheugen.

The new Secretary

Alexander Italianer from The Netherlands will be the new Secretary General; he is well versed in the workings of the EU machinery. Former Director-General for Competition, he has also held other posts, including the post of Deputy Secretary-General.

And who will head the dreaded DG Competition?

Undoubtedly a high-profile appointee for an important DG, but there’s little doubt that similarities with Selmayr (country of origin, career, and political experience in Europe) is the latter’s second coup: his rise to power appears to be increasingly unstoppable…

The German Johannes Laitenberger will be responsible for talks with US corporations and for negotiations regarding the many, thorny problems on the plate of DG Competition. An expert veteran official, former Commission spokesperson and previously Barroso’s head of cabinet; the Federal Chancellery was apparently overjoyed with his appointment.

Viola will become the third Italian Director-General, together with Marco Buti and Giovanni Kessler, confirmed as head of the European Anti-Fraud Office.

After all this, what has Italy gained?

At present Italy has been assigned a strategic Directorate General: Roberto Viola former Secretary General of the Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCM), will head DG CONNECT, a priority area for the Juncker Commission.

Other appointees

Lowri Evans (British) has been appointed to DG GROW.

Daniel Calleja Crespo (Spanish) will head DG ENV.

Joao Aguiar Machado (Portuguese) is the new head of DG MARE.

Stephen Quest (British) will head the new DG TAXUD.

Other appointees

Xavier Prats Monne (Spanish) is the new head of DG SANTE.

And...

Olivier Guersent (French) deputy head of the new DG FISMA.

Martine Reicherts (Luxembourger) head of the new DG EAC.

Henrik Hololei (Estonian) deputy head of the new DG MOVE.