European Commission on hold, Udre out

RIGA - In an unprecedented turn of events President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso postponed the vote to approve the EU Commission, the EU's legislative body, after it became clear that it faced imminent defeat at the hands of the European Parliament on Oct 27. The astonishing move had immediate ramifications for Latvia, and its controversial commissioner designate Ingrida Udre.

Shortly after the postponement, Rocco Buttiglione, the Italian commissioner designate for justice whose candidacy was largely responsible for the parliamentary impasse, stepped down. Buttiglione caused widespread outrage among MEPs when he said that homosexuality was a "sin" during his commission nomination hearing.

The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi strongly backed his nominee throughout the crisis and said publicly that he would agree to the removal of Buttiglione only if some other commissioners were removed as well. Speculation then immediately turned to other commissioners that had either had poor hearings or had little political backing in the Parliament.

Latvia's Ingrida Udre, the candidate for the tax and customs portfolio, was heavily criticized for her evasive hearing performance, during which she was questioned about financial irregularities in her party's election campaign.

To add to the speculation that Udre would be removed, the Latvian government fell on Oct. 28 over a budgetary vote. After repeated diplomatic stumbling by the now caretaker government, Prime Minister Indulis Emsis admitted that he had received a letter from Barroso on Nov. 2 asking him to replace Udre at the commission.

Later that day the government announced that it would nominate former Finance and Education Minister, and long term diplomat Andris Piebalgs for the post. Piebalgs is currently working as the director of commissioner Sandra Kalniete's office in Brussels.

The new choice marks a change from Barroso´s previous demands for a female commissioner from Latvia. Talk then turned to a cabinet reshuffle at the Commission.

"Udre's withdrawal will cause more relief than surprise at the EP, where she was under attack by political groups representing more than three-quarters of the Parliament," Philippe Kamaris the local representative of the European Parliament in Latvia said.

"[Piebalgs] demonstrated a very serious commitment to all the jobs he has taken since he entered the diplomatic field," the head of the political science department at Latvia University Zaneta Ozolina told The Baltic Times. "He is one of the most knowledgeable people in Latvia on EU matters."

Much of the row between the European Socialists, the European Parliament's second biggest party, and Barroso is in part a continuation of an insult leveled at the head of the Socialists Martin Schulz by Italian President Silvio Berlusconi, who said he would do well playing a Nazi guard in a movie.

Other commissioners will also surely be removed, such as Hungarian nominee Laszlo Kovacs, the current commissioner designate responsible for the energy sector, who was called incompetent by the European People's Party.

Other candidates under discussion include Danish nominee Mariann Fischer Boel, the candidate for overseeing the agricultural sector, and the Dutch candidate Neelie Kroes, who has been accused of facing potential conflicts of interests in her position overseeing competition.

Events surrounding Latvia's choice of Piebalgs were preceded by some truly bizarre domestic politics. Indulis Emsis, the current care taker prime minister for the government, admitted that he had been asked earlier to replace Udre, since he was the only one empowered to do so. But Emsis replied that he could not since he was only a caretaker prime minister.

Defense Minister Atis Slakteris of the People's Party later suggested that Emsis himself should replace Udre at the commission, something that would have required Emsis to nominate himself for the role. But Emsis played down the possibility, saying that he had no wish to go to Brussels.