Santer’s little angel

Date: 11/04/1996

It is a rare occasion indeed when an intrepid researcher does not unearth a couple of begrudgers willing to blot the reputations of the great and the good with tales of skeletons in cupboards.

The search for background information about Papoutsis has been one such occasion. Mention his name, and compliments roll off tongues like cars off a 'ro-ro' ferry. Even industry representatives, generally difficult to please, happily lavish praise on the young Greek Commissioner.

Good-looking, smart, gentle and kind, the youngest member of Jacques Santer's team of Commissioners is, by all accounts, a little angel.

Born into a left-wing family in Larissa, Greece, in 1953, Papoutsis threw himself into politics at an early age. While still an economics student at the University of Athens, alongside other young radicals he played a vital role in the overthrow of the country's right-wing military dictatorship.

A man of cast-iron principles, he won the admiration of allies and foes alike for sticking to his guns while others turned and ran.

When riot police showed up at the gates of his university, determined to break up an anti-government protest taking place in its grounds, it was Papoutsis who blocked their way. Universities - like churches - were then, and continue to be, considered sacred ground, not to be trampled on by government troops.

“He thought we were behind him, but in fact, when he turned around to give us instructions, he realised he was on his own,” remembers a fellow protester. “He stood firm. But then that is typical of Papoutsis. When he believes in something, he will do anything to defend it.”

With the collapse of the junta, Andreas Papandreou set up the Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK. Aware of the urgent need to sweep military cobwebs away and start anew, he drew most of his administrative team from the band of student revolutionaries.

Papoutsis was an obvious choice, and the two men soon became the closest of friends.

Papandreou took Papoutsis under his wing, giving him private lessons in Marxism and economics, and ensuring his rapid rise through the ranks of PASOK.

Papoutsis, for his part, became a loyal devotee of the charismatic leader, refusing to cross him even when Papandreou had clearly stepped out of line.

Among the tasks he performed, Papoutsis warmed his boss' crowds at rallies, stirring up emotions with his dulcet tones. “Christos always had a fabulous voice,” says one admirer.

At the tender age of 31, Papoutsis moved to Brussels, taking up a seat in an increasingly-powerful European Parliament. There, he soon became known as “the handsome young man who does the budget”.

In spite of his youth, Papoutsis earned respect across the spectrum for his political deftness. He was named head of the Greek PASOK delegation and made a

vice-president of the Socialist Group.

It was in that dual role - as Greek politician and European leader - that he made his mark. Casting off his ventriloquist role, Papoutsis showed Papandreou, in the nicest way possible, that he was no puppet.

Tarnished by a series of financial scandals, and disliked for its unconventional foreign policy, PASOK had long been shunned by Europe's top Socialists.

Papoutsis managed to tone down the prevailing mood in PASOK by demonstrating that, in practice, neither rabid anti-Americanism nor flirting with radical Arab regimes provided a realistic basis for foreign policy. In so doing, he made the party more acceptable to its European counterparts.

After years of toing and froing, he succeeded in bringing the Greek party back into the bosom of Europe, winning membership for PASOK of the Socialist Party and Socialist International.

“Papoutsis was instrumental in bringing that period of disgrace to an end,” recalls a close friend. “He simply would not give up until PASOK agreed to take a clearer European direction.”

Despite his love of the Parliament and his success there, Papoutsis moved on in 1995 - this time to the European Commission.

With ten years under his belt as a deputy, he was well equipped for the job of Commissioner. The Parliament had taught him how to play politics and win. It had been, he was to say later, “one big school” for him.

But if some of his ex-colleagues eyed his prestigious new position with jealousy, they certainly did not envy his portfolios. For when it came to the division of spoils, Papoutsis, most people agreed, had pulled three of the shortest straws - SMEs, tourism and energy.

Although they may appear dull to some, the new Commissioner has tackled these unappetising subjects with relish.

The challenges he faces are formidable.

Talks between member states on the liberalisation of the electricity market have been limping along for over five years with little sign of a breakthrough.

Germany, keen to bring the benefits of liberalisation to every household, and France, determined not to jeopardise public sector jobs, remain at odds over how much the market should be opened.

Despite their intransigence, Papoutsis' admirers are convinced that he can and will - eventually - close the gap between the two sides.

“If he can bring Greece back into Europe, he can do anything,” says a colleague. “He is an excellent negotiator. He never gets tired and he never gets excited - even when those around him are panicking. Mr Papoutsis is an extremely cool player.”

But he is not just a cool player. Baring his teeth (just a little), Papoutsis has told negotiators that unless progress is made at next month's meeting of energy ministers, the matter will be sent to the June European summit for consideration.

“This is a political problem, not a technical one. So in a way, you could say he is calling their bluff,” said a staff member.

Likewise, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are not everyone's idea of fun. But they do create jobs. And, with the adroitness of a seasoned politician, that is the point which Papoutsis has stressed in fighting for a 60&percent; increase in the SME budget.

As for tourism, its reputation following a series of fraud scandals within the Commission unit could not have been worse. Stressing the size of the industry, and its role as a job-creator, Papoutsis has, against the odds, raised the unit's credibility, much to the delight of the industry. “He started at zero, and he has really made a difference,” said one member of a tourism trade association.

Papoutsis is currently running a campaign to boost the Commission's powers in this field at the Intergovernmental Conference.

And after that? Many observers predict that Papoutsis, who spends weekends with his family in Athens, will return to Greek politics. “Did he ever leave?” asks one.

They observe that Greece has failed to mature as a fully-committed member of the EU club. Although it has backed away from its old confrontational tactics, it still puts its own interests above those of the Union - although it is not alone in that.

Papoutsis, as a member of PASOK's central and executive committees, commands considerable power within the party. He is also well respected in Brussels, putting him in an ideal position to help improve his country's European relations.

But the recent appointment of Costas Simitis as Papandreou's successor could pour cold water on any ambitions Papoutsis may harbour to re-enter Greece's political fray. He blasted Simitis, while he was an industry minister, for failing to get a Russia-Athens gas pipeline laid in time, an attack which Simitis has apparently not forgotten.

But Simitis aside, it seems everybody loves Christos Papoutsis.