Holiday fun begins at home for Fischler and Co

Date: 14/11/02

By Karen Carstens

MOST EU commissioners and officials prefer quiet holidays in their native countries rather than jetting off in search of glamorous destinations, according to a survey undertaken by European Voice.

Austrian-born Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler, for instance, prefers to recharge his batteries at his Tyrolean farm.

If he goes abroad, Erkki Liikanen, the enterprise and information society commissioner, likes to hike in the Greek countryside. But during the winter months he's more likely to be found cross-country skiing in his native Finland.

Günther Verheugen, the enlargement commissioner who originally hails from Germany's Rhine valley, is a big fan of the country's northern shores.

'He enjoys taking long walks along the Baltic coast,' said his spokesman, Jean-Christophe Filori.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström also prefers to holiday at home in Sweden. 'She particularly likes to be near forests and lakes, where her two teenage sons can go fishing and catch the family's dinner,' a spokeswoman said.

Still, not everyone heads back to base for their holidays.

Commission President Romano Prodi has had a long-time love affair with Turkey, a favourite destination ever since he spent his honeymoon there.

And Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne enjoys sailing off the coast of Brittany or taking relaxing breaks with his wife along the Côte d'Azur, according to spokeswoman Beate Gminder. (In Byrne's native Ireland, it rains almost as much as in Brussels).

This paper also took a snapshot of views at the tourism unit in DG Enterprise.

'Most of the people you meet in our circles aren't exactly 'mainstream' tourists,' said a German official. 'I like to spend time with the shepherds of central Spain.'

He joins the herdsmen as they drive their sheep across the region's rugged grazing grounds - a far cry from the blustery and congested streets of the Belgian capital.

'It's usually just for a few days,' he said. 'I accompany them on their journey and stay in huts just like them it provides a great counterbalance to the highly artificial life we are subjected to on a daily basis.' Colleagues do not find this odd. His supervisor, for example, had spent some time in a remote mountain monastery recently.

The upshot of this small sampling: many commissioners and their officials appear to share a love of natural landscapes and culturally valuable sites in making their holiday choices. In this sense, at least, one could perhaps call them role models for holidaymakers in the 'International Year of Ecotourism'.

Feature on the preferred holiday destinations of EU Commissioners and officials.