Party members of prospective EU Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra (CDA/EPP) expressed their disdain following his nomination being backed by Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen on Tuesday, lamenting the secrecy surrounding his decision.
Hoekstra was proposed as the successor to Frans Timmermans, who relinquished his climate portfolio to vie for the position of prime minister in the upcoming Dutch elections.
“There are people who say it shouldn’t have been Wopke,” freshly designated party leader Henri Bontenbal told Dutch paper De Telegraaf.
“It is a nomination by the cabinet. It was just really Mark Rutte who said: Wopke is the most suitable. It all went very quickly,” he added, emphasising that it is nonetheless “great that we get to deliver another CDA member” to the EU Commission.
The centre-right party’s main point of criticism is that the outgoing foreign minister did not openly share his intention to pursue the post with his party colleagues following his departure as party leader after the cabinet fell last month.
The hard feelings surrounding Hoekstra’s commissioner bid were also shared by CDA members in Brussels. Nevertheless, open opposition to Hoekstra from centre-right circles is unexpected.
“We are not happy with him, but that is never going to happen. The discontent on a personal level is audible, but at the same time, [there is also] the realisation that he is a good candidate in terms of CV, as a former finance minister and foreign minister,” a CDA source in Brussels stated.
“Besides, it’s a chance to get a CDA [politician] in that post, you’re not going to block that,” the source added.
The hesitation to block Hoekstra despite his lack of communication comes when both the S&D and EPP groups are extremely keen on the Climate Commissioner’s spot amid fierce arguments about the future of the EU’s climate policy.
Rough ride in parliament
Despite Von der Leyen’s support, Hoekstra is not out of the woods just yet, as he will still need to pass a hearing in front of the European Parliament’s climate committee.
Read more: Commission proposes controversial candidate to head EU climate action
The largest obstacle to Hoekstra’s commissionership is probably the S&D group, as many of its members have not forgotten his remarks concerning the budgetary plans of several of the bloc’s southern member states back when he was Dutch Finance Minister during the pandemic. Back then, Hoekstra sharply criticised the lack of fiscal conservativeness displayed by these member states, particularly Italy.
Meanwhile, Hoekstra was also slammed by climate activists, stating that he lacks the climate credentials and know-how for the position.
(Benedikt Stöckl | EURACTIV.com)
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