On your marks – candidates line up for Ombudsman post

Date: 03/10/02

By Martin Banks

IT may not exactly be the most sought-after job in the world but the first shots have been fired in the battle to become the next EU Ombudsman.

The contest starts today (3 October) - the deadline for applications - with an all-male, five-strong field lining up to succeed Jacob Söderman.

Söderman, formerly the watchdog in his native Finland, was elected as the first EU Ombudsman in 1995. He was due to stay in office until October 2004 but has opted to leave early, just ahead of his 65th birthday.

The Ombudsman's job is to investigate complaints about maladministration by EU institutions. He cannot, however, deal with complaints concerning national or regional administrations.

Based in the old parliament building in Strasbourg, Söderman heads a 30-strong team. He also has a small team in Brussels.

Since 1995, he has handled 10,500 complaints and found maladministration in 250.

Financially, the job is certainly worth having: the salary is €17,000 per month - more than a director general in the European Commission and equivalent to a judge in the European Court of Justice. Following today's deadline for applications, candidates will appear at public hearings, organised by the European Parliament's petitions committee, on 28 November and 3 and 5 December.

Söderman's successor will then be selected by Parliament's 626 MEPs in a secret ballot at the Strasbourg plenary on 16 December. The new man will start next April.

The Ombudsman normally has five years in the job, but Söderman's replacement will be in the job only 18 months before he has to stand again in October 2004 following the European Parliament elections.

Javier Markiegi OMBUDSMAN in the Basque country for more than five years until September 2000, Markiegi, a theology graduate, has a background in physics and chemistry teaching.

In 1980-81 he was a town councillor in Bilbao and a Spanish MP from 1981 until 1994, during which time he was a member of a parliamentary commission on human rights. He currently works at the School Council of Euskadi in Bilbao. He said: 'I have the experience of being an Ombudsman in the Basque country. This was a difficult job because of the presence of ETA, the terrorist group. However, during these five years I always tried to be on the victims' side.'

Roy PerryTHE UK Conservative is vice chairman of the European Parliament's petitions committee, which is overseeing the election. An MEP since 1994, he was previously a college lecturer in politics, a local council leader (1985-94) in the UK and former executive of clothing and food chain Marks & Spencer. Born in 1943, he is married with two daughters and is also a member of the culture, youth and education committee. He said: 'I have been used to listening to the concerns of people across Europe. One of my initiatives has been the code of good administrative behaviour. Parliaments have several roles - one of them is to look after EU citizens' interests. I regard the Ombudsman's job as critical.'

Nikiforos DiamandourosBECAME Greece's first Ombudsman four years ago, and is one of the favourites for the job. A youthful 60, he has attracted support in Socialist and Liberal groups in recent weeks.

Has taught political science at Athens University since 1998 and, prior to that, was director of programmes for Western Europe and the Middle East at the Social Science Research Council in New York. Married with two sons in their 20s, he has been closely involved in minority issues in Greece and a political scientist for 30 years.

He said: 'I helped set up the office of Ombudsman in Greece and think I could transfer the experience I've gleaned from the job to the European post.'

Georgios AnastassopoulosAGED 67, he is a former MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament. He was first elected to the Parliament in 1984 and was re-elected in 1989 and 1994. During this period, he was twice chairman of the transport and tourism committee. He also shaped the assembly's 1998 proposals for a reform of the laws on the system to elect MEPs.

Prior to becoming an MEP, he served in two Greek governments. A law graduate and former president of the Athens Union of Journalists, he stood against Söderman in the last election, narrowly losing by 269-256 votes. Married with two children, he is also the author of seven books.

Herman WuytsMARRIED with three sons, Dr Wuyts, aged 59, became Belgium's first Ombudsman six years ago.

Has been a professor of political science since 1968, first at the University of Leuven, then at the Erasmus business school in Brussels. Fluent in five languages, including English and Portuguese, he's had numerous studies and books published. He is also vice-president for the European Region of the International Ombudsman Institute. Wuyts, whose term of office in Belgium is due to end in January, leads a 40-strong team. He said: 'If elected I will aim to achieve more transparency in EU institutions and to make the office of ombudsman better known.'

Details of the five candidates in the contest to become the next EU Ombudsman.