MEPs reject Bratušek and force Juncker rethink

MEPs have voted against the former prime minister of Slovenia, triggering a search for a new vice-president that could trigger a wider reshuffle of portfolios.

Jean-Claude Juncker must re-draft his line-up of European commissioners after MEPs last night delivered a verdict that Alenka Bratušek, a former prime minister of Slovenia, should not be a member of his team.

The European Parliament’s environment and energy committees at a joint meeting voted overwhelmingly (112-13) to reject Bratušek, whom Juncker had named as vice-president for energy union. The vote followed a poor performance by Bratušek at her confirmation hearing on Monday (6 October) when she appeared ignorant of EU energy issues. She also gave unconvincing answers to the ethics concerns that have dogged her since she put herself forward for the position of commissioner in July, while she was only a caretaker prime minister, having been defeated in elections in May.

MEPs had already declared that Tibor Navracsics, Hungary’s nominee for commissioner who was assigned the portfolio of education, youth, culture and citizenship, should not be given responsibility for citizenship. The committee votes are only recommendations, but the scale of the vote against Bratušek makes her survival unthinkable. It is most unlikely that a vote on the entire college, unchanged, will now be put to the Parliament on 22 October.

A spokeswoman for Juncker said after the vote against Bratušek that before taking decisions he would await “a complete analysis of the assessment of all the candidates”.

In practice, that means he will await the assessment of the Parliament’s group leaders. They were scheduled to meet today to decide their recommendations but after the Bratušek vote they postponed that meeting until Monday.

Bratušek and, to a much lesser extent, Navracsics, seem to be the only casualties. The environment and energy committees voted last night to approve Miguel Arias Cañete, the designated commissioner for energy and climate. This followed assurances given to the centre-left S&D group from Juncker that he would give Frans Timmermans additional responsibility for sustainability. Centre-left and Green MEPs have been demanding that sustainability feature somewhere in the vice-presidencies. The Greens still voted against Cañete.

Approval for Jonathan Hill and Pierre Moscovici, the nominees of the United Kingdom and France, was expected after European Voice went to press. Vĕra Jourová from the Czech Republic, the only other commissioner who did not win near-immediate approval from her committee, was approved on Tuesday.

If Juncker decides to withdraw and modify his proposed line-up, a new nominee from Slovenia would first have to be approved by the Council of Ministers before being put to the Parliament.

Hearings would then have to be held. Parliament officials told European Voice that it would be technically feasible for these hearings to be held before 22 October, but this would depend on how much time the nominees needed for preparation.

One likely replacement for Bratušek is Tanja Fajon, a centre-left MEP who was on a shortlist of three names that the Slovenian caretaker government presented to Juncker in July. Juncker must decide how extensive a reshuffle Bratušek’s rejection should trigger. A Slovenian replacement is unlikely to be nominated for a vice-presidency.

One possibility mooted on the left of the Parliament is for Maroš Šefčovič of Slovakia to be named as the vice-president for energy union, with his currently proposed portfolio of transport and space given to the Slovenian commissioner. Another option would be to give the vice-presidency for energy union to Günther Oettinger, Germany’s nominee, who holds the energy portfolio at present and has been assigned the digital agenda in the next college, but proved uncomfortable with it at his hearing.

Other Slovenian possibilities to replace Bratušek are Anja Kopač Mrak, the centre-left minister for labour, family and social affairs, and Janez Potočnik, Slovenia’s European commissioner since 2004. Slovenian media reported last night that Violeta Bulc, the Slovenian minister for development, strategic projects and cohesion, is likely to get the nomination from Slovenian prime minister Miro Cerar.

Matthias Groote, a centre-left German MEP, said that the replacement nominee should be a woman. Gunnar Hökmark, a centre-right Swedish MEP, said that Juncker should take his time choosing a new vice-president for energy union and that he should choose a “strong personality”. Frederick Federley, a liberal Swedish MEP, insisted that the vice-presidency should remain in the hands of a liberal.