Hand-picked – the dream team?

By Tim King

Date: 10/11/05

The senior staff appointments announced by the European Commission on Wednesday (9 November) were a long time in the preparation.

Siim Kallas, the commissioner for administrative affairs, interviewed all the directors-general and their deputies before drawing up proposals that he submitted to Commission President José Manuel Barroso in July. Barroso embarked on a smaller round of meetings and interviews to assess candidates and the finishing touches were not completed until the end of October.

But sources close to Barroso said the intention had always been to give him time to get to know individuals and the ways of the Commission before making his first significant reshuffle.

Given the obligation to rotate senior officials, the reshuffle is designed to make appointments that will last for the duration of Barroso's mandate.

The aim was also to establish a team "with the right level of motivation and dynamism" that would deliver on the Commission's strategic objectives, a source said.

Kallas said that Barroso was "very operational in making these decisions".

One of the central decisions was whether to change the secretary-general, described as "one of the president's most important collaborators". While full of praise for O'Sullivan's co-operation and performance, the president decided that now was "the best time" to move him, given that the rules on rotation would require that he was moved before the end of the Barroso commission.

The other appointments that fell very much to the president alone were those of a new spokesman and of a new head of his team of policy advisers.

Barroso has promoted from his own cabinet, Johannes Laitenberger, a 41-year-old Portuguese-speaking German lawyer, to be his new spokesman. He has selected a career Commission official to head the Bureau of European Policy Advisers: Enzo Moavero Milanesi, currently a deputy secretary-general, replaces the former Portuguese economy minister, Carlos Tavares, who stepped down a few weeks ago.

Sixteen posts are to be advertised as vacancies, 11 internally and five externally for candidates from the 10 new EU states. The Commission hopes to fill the internal vacancies, which include the posts of head of internal market, transport and energy and communications, very quickly, if possible by January.

Article reports on a reshuffle of senior posts at the European Commission, announced on 9 November 2005.