Van Miert upstaged and sulky

Date: 07/03/1996

Karel Van Miert went into a huff last week when Commission President Jacques Santer stole his thunder and revealed details of a German state aid deal to the press the day before the Competition Commissioner was due to announce the result himself.

Van Miert reacted by refusing to come down from his office and take the spotlight at a pre-arranged press conference, leaving spokesman Willy Hélin to explain his Commissioner's non-appearance to about 50 expectant journalists in the Breydel press room.

Santer's own briefing the day before lacked the full details and Willy could only apologise to the irritated throng who had turned up in search of more information about the decision.

But a few were not satisfied and after tolerating a series of complaints, Willy rounded on his attackers and threatened to walk out himself.

Of Van Miert's non-appearance, Hélin said: “He regrets that others thought they would leak out little pieces of information about files that Mr Van Miert was meant to be presenting to you today.”

Another insider not bound by the same need to express public loyalty to the Commissioner put it more bluntly, saying simply: “He was sulking.”