Duitse kandidaat-eurocommissaris komt ongeschonden door verhoor Europees Parlement (en) - Hoofdinhoud
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - German commissioner-designate Guenther Oettinger i on Thursday (14 January) managed to successfully steer his way through MEPs' questions related to energy security, EU i-Russia relations and nuclear waste, despite earlier scepticism about his knowledge of European affairs.
Mr Oettinger pledged his commitment to catchphrases such as "speaking with one voice", ensuring "energy solidarity among member states" and reducing greenhouse emissions by 20 percent by 2020.
Pressed about what interests he would defend, coming from a country with big energy firms and a friendly relationship with Russia, Mr Oettinger said he would not favour of Germany.
"I will bear in mind the EU dimension in all questions," he stressed.
But he also said that splitting energy conglomerates - the so-called unbundling policy initiated by his predecessor, which encountered fierce opposition by German and French energy giants - would need to be made after "full cost assessments."
The former Prime Minister of Baden Wuerttemberg, a wealthy German state home to automotive firms such as Porsche, was questioned about his links to big energy firms, as he has in the past played card games with the bosses of EoN and RWE.
He said that was just a charity event and the EoN boss actually "lost quite considerably." He went on to invite MEPs to join such events if they know how to play cards and have adequate sums of money.
Turning serious, Mr Oettinger argued that at a regional level "you can't separate business and politics, there needs to be a continuous dialogue. But give me the chance to prove my independence," he said.
On Russia, he admitted that the so-called Nord Stream pipeline running on the seabed of the Baltic Sea was a "bilateral deal" between Berlin and Moscow and that he understood the concerns of Polish and Baltic politicians of being left in the cold.
It makes no sense, in his view, to stop or delay the project now, but rather learn from this experience and put an end to such bilateral deals, while speeding up alternative routes which would bypass Russia.
"Contacts with the government in Moscow" and a "two-way street" investment policy, with European firms also present on the Russian market could be a way to avoid increasing the vulnerability of Europe due to its reliance on Russian gas.
Mr Oettinger also deflected several questions on his pro-nuclear stance, arguing that he would be "completely neutral" as a commissioner, since some member states such as Austria are against nuclear plants, while others like France are in favour.
Political intermezzo
The Oettinger hearing was also spiced up by a political intermezzo by from German centre-right MEP Werner Langen, who attacked his Socialist, Liberal and Green colleagues for asking critical questions.
He singled out leftist MEP Jo Leinen, chair of the Parliament's environment committee, who noted that Mr Oettinger had "turned from Saul to Paul", from a promoter of less Europe to a Europhile in less than three months.
But overall MEPs seemed impressed with Mr Oettinger's performance. The EPP, Mr Oettinger's own political family, praised his "good performance" and "clear vision."
Liberal German MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis told Mr Oettinger he was "very convincing" and well prepared.
The Socialist co-ordinator of commissioners hearings, Hannes Swoboda, said he had "great potential to become a good commissioner."
The Greens were happy with his commitment for environmentally responsible EU energy policy, but "remained sceptical" that he would be fully committed to fair competition on the energy market.
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