A friend of Spectrezine in the Berlaymont?

We never thought we would see the day when a genuinely progressive economist, let alone a past contributor to Spectrezine, would be a nominee for the European Commission. László Andor's appointment by the centre-left Hungarian government, and his award of the portfolio on social affairs, employment and inclusion by Commission President Jose Barosso, were, to say the least, a surprise. It remains to be confirmed by the European Parliament. Obviously, we're sceptical of what he can accomplish, but we'll let you judge for yourselves.  Before his or her hearing, each nominee must answer a questionnaire from the EP. Here are László Andor's answers:

General competence, European commitment and personal independence

QUESTION:  What aspects of your personal qualifications and experience are particularly relevant for becoming Commissioner and promoting the European general interest, particularly in the area you would be responsible for? What motivates you? What guarantees of independence are you able to give the European Parliament, and how would you make sure that any past, current or future activities you carry out could not cast doubt on the performance of your duties within the Commission?

My entire professional life has been dedicated to European integration and I see the portfolio attributed to me as crucial to the development of a fair and modern labour and social agenda  for Europe.

As regards my professional qualifications, my background as an economist, a lecturer at various universities in Europe and elsewhere, advisor to various governmental and non-governmental bodies, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have enriched my understanding of the many different  angles of the most pressing issues in society. Moreover, this experience has taught me workable and constructive ways and means of reconciling the differing and often conflicting interests that parties concerned may well have in a given matter, a precious asset when  working in a European Institution.

My sole motivation is to work for the general European interest. In other words, to guarantee  that the Commission’s actions are geared towards the citizens' and workers' common and fundamental needs. What we are now experiencing is by far the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and it is well expected that labour market will take longer to recover than we had hoped, with severe social consequences. To alleviate these negative effects, I am fully committed to doing my utmost to stop rising unemployment and to help the jobless return to work, thereby preventing further poverty and exclusion. I believe that, in partnership with the European Parliament, we will be able to help the Member States achieve higher levels of quality employment, a stronger and more inclusive labour market and greater social cohesion.

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