Five old faces set to stay on

Date: 25/03/1999

By Simon Taylor

ONLY five of the 20-strong team of Acting European Commissioners look certain to remain in office beyond the end of this year, assuming President-designate Romano Prodi and MEPs give them their blessing.

Now that EU leaders have decided to nominate Prodi for president, attention is turning to which Acting Commissioners will seek posts in the new College - and which will have their governments' support.

Prodi will begin assembling an interim Commission to serve until the end of the year within weeks, with the aim of getting the European Parliament's approval as early as July. Many of the nominees are likely to be new, although some old hands are expected to remain until replacements become available later in the year.

Everyone agrees that France's Edith Cresson will have to go swiftly and the smart money is on Culture Minister Catherine Trautmann replacing her. Acting Economics Commissioner Yves-Thibault de Silguy wants to stay on to oversee the launch of euro notes and coins in 2002.

Germany's industry supremo Martin Bangemann is among those who planned to leave in December anyway. Under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's coalition deal with the Greens, he will have to be replaced with someone from their ranks, with former MEP Claudia Roth and deputy party leader Antje Vollmer mooted as contenders. Regional aid chief Monika Wulf-Mathies wants to stay on as the SPD's nominee, but Bonn has not yet indicated whether it will back her.

Sweden has already said it will not renominate home affairs chief Anita Gradin, with Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Schori and former EU envoy to Bosnia-Herzegovina Carl Bildt tipped as possible replacements.

Danish Acting Environment Commis-sioner Ritt Bjerregaard wants another five-year term, but speculation is rife that Copenhagen might opt for Finance Minister Mogens Lykketoft instead.

Austrian farm supremo Franz Fischler has won his government's support to remain, as has British transport chief Neil Kinnock. Speculation about who will replace Sir Leon Brittan, who had already decided to leave in December, is focusing on former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten or ex-Tory Party Chief Whip Alistair Goodlad.

Spain's Manuel Marin was also planning to leave at the end of this year, with former Economics Minister Pedro Solbes strongly tipped to replace him, while Madrid's other Acting Commissioner Marcelino Oreja wants to stay on. So too does Finland's budget chief Erkki Liikanen.

Ex-Finance Minister Philippe Maystadt is being tipped to replace Belgian competition chief Karel van Miert, who was intending to step down in December anyway, as was Greek Energy and Tourism Commissioner Christos Papoutsis. The vacancy might be filled by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou or his deputy.

Portugal's Joao de Deus Pinheiro has indicated he would like another term, but his government may decide to replace him with a Social Democrat. Possible contenders include Rural Development Minister Joao Cravinho.

Dutch Acting Foreign Affairs Commis-sioner Hans van den Broek is certain to be replaced with someone from the ranks of Premier Wim Kok's Social Democrat-Liberal coalition, with the VVD's former parliamentary leader Frits Bolkestein leading the race. Meanwhile, Dublin has made it clear that it will not seek to reappoint Acting Social Affairs Commis-sioner Pádraig Flynn. Possible replacements include John Murray, currently a member of the European Court of Justice.

Following Prodi's nomination as president, Rome will have to decide whether to opt for consumers' champion Emma Bonino or single market supremo Mario Monti for the other post.