You are in:
- Contents » Scams
The Commission Crumbles
Romano Prodi's European Commission seems to be ending with as much disarray as it began. While the entire commission is due to be replaced later this year, some commissioners - including Prodi himself - might not wait that long.
As they eye their retirement funds or political careers in their home countries, the commission's troubles pile ever higher.
First to leave the sinking ship was employment commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, who has returned to Greece to campaign for the Socialist party. Earlier this week, EURSOC reported that Ms Diamantopoulou had been eyeing Britain's flexible overtime laws - perhaps she has decided that her socialist instincts will play better to a home audience.
Prodi himself has been playing the role of Once and Future King to his fellow Italian socialists. Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is expected to call an election sometime this year: Prodi is widely believed to be the only Italian leftist who can beat him.
Last year, the commission president drew criticism for publishing a pamphlet advising the Italian left on how to defeat Berlusconi. Britain's minister for Europe Denis MacShane demanded that Prodi resign if he was unwilling to commit himself 100% to the European Project.
The commission president is duty-bound, not to mention honour-bound to remain aloof from domestic politics.
Despite this, Prodi has gone even further: Today he will deliver the keynote speech at the launch of a left-wing alliance formed to remove Berlusconi from power. His supporters claim that Prodi has spent much of the past few months enhancing his political base in Italy - while his detractors accuse him of using the prestige of his position to play politics at home.
This plotting comes as Prodi's commission has just about declared war on the nation states, taking France and Germany to court over the stability pact and infuriating the richer nations by demanding more money for the EU.
If Prodi had any dignity, he would have resigned before now.
If he waits any longer, what remains of his credibility could be eroded even further. The Telegraph reports that another whistleblower will soon publish a devasting exposé of continuing corruption on Prodi's watch.
Prodi's commission was launched on a 'clean hands' ticket when the previous bunch resigned in disgrace. However, according to Dutch whistleblower Paul Van Buitenen, nothing has changed since 1999.
Van Buitenen claims that the Eurostat scandal, which saw £3 million disappear, is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Telegraph says that Prodi's commission has covered up scandals, shielded the guilty and allowed insiders to run the EU as their private fiefdoms.
Van Buitenen, who has been knighted by Queen Beatrix, plans to run as an MEP in June's elections. His report in 1999 brought down the previous commission. He quit his post in 2002 claiming that despite his recommendations, nothing had changed in Brussels.
