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Gasparovic: Energy Porfolio in Commission Uncertain, Back-up Plan Needed
Monday 23 November 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, November 23 (TASR) - Although chances are that Slovakia will occupy the post of European Commissioner for Energy in the new EU Commission, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will indeed receive the post, President Ivan Gasparovic said on Monday.
Speaking following a meeting with Maros Sefcovic, Slovakia's EU Commissioner currently in charge of education, training, culture and youth, Gasparovic added that the country needs to have a back-up plan. Slovakia ought to receive a post of "certain prominence", the president added.
Sefcovic stressed that European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has to consider proposals by all member countries and take into account personality traits and experience of the individual hopefuls for Commissioners.
"We've been saying for a while that sectoral portfolios are drawing major interest," said Sefcovic and cautioned that hardly any predictions as to whether Slovakia will get the energy portfolio can be made at the moment.
The creation of the new Commission team is currently in the hands of the Commission chief Barroso. "He's got to set up a team that will be seconded by the European Parliament," said Sefcovic.
According to former Slovakia's Ambassador to the EU Sefcovic, Barroso will strive to create a team that will be balanced in political, geographic and gender terms. "The premiers and the European Parliament endowed the Commission President with this power so that he bears responsibility for the team that he'll propose to the European Parliament, and so that the Commission can start working in a full-fledged make-up as soon as possible," added Sefcovic.
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