Frits gets green light for election speeches

Date: 08/05/02

By Laurence Frost

FRITS Bolkestein has been given the all-clear from the European Commission to continue making speeches on party political platforms in the run-up to next week's Dutch general election.

The Commission's chief spokesman, Jonathan Faull, told a press briefing on Monday that the internal market chief had the full backing of Romano Prodi, despite complaints from MEPs after Bolkestein took part in a political interview on television.

Asked how Prodi interpreted the EU convention that commissioners should distance themselves from national political interests, Faull responded: 'Commissioners don't campaign in national elections. That has always been the case and remains the case.'

However, Faull said that did not prevent commissioners from making speeches on party political issues during election campaigns.

'Commissioners are also politicians. They make speeches in their own countries and they don't stop making speeches during election campaigns,' he added.

Faull's comments came after Bolkestein was criticised for telling the Parliament's legal affairs committee there was no need for a directive on counterfeiting and piracy - apparently unaware that such a proposal was already being drawn up by his staff (European Voice, 2 May).

Dutch socialist deputy Michiel van Hulten suggested that Bolkestein's blunder was 'due to the fact that he is now actively campaigning in the Dutch general election for the Liberal party, VVD'.

The internal market chief has also come under fire for the VVD's anti-enlargement stance. But Faull insisted Bolkestein's own support for enlargement was 'well known'.

Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein has been given the all-clear from the European Commission to continue campaigning in the run-up to the forthcoming Dutch general election.