Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats
Centre-left Euro MPs today invited members of the public to submit questions for next week's parliamentary hearings of candidates for the new European Commission.
The 184-strong S&D Group has spent four weeks drafting detailed questions to test all 26 candidates in individual three-hour sessions before specialist committees of policy experts.
Now the Group wants members of the public to send questions on their concerns to our mailbox and pledges to take up the best submissions.
The deadline for sending questions has now passed and this link is no longer working
Said Group vice-president Hannes Swoboda, who is in charge of preparations for the hearings: "We want people to be involved in these hearings because Commission decisions affect us all. We must make sure that only the best possible candidates are appointed for the next five-year term."
Said Mr Swoboda: "The S&D Group is now finalising its approach to the ten days of question-and-answer sessions. Our questions will be tough but fair.
"We want the hearings to be as interactive as possible. As well as inviting questions now, when the hearings themselves come, we will use Twitter and live-blogging to help members of the public to follow what is going on and to channel their comments through us."
Mr Swoboda renewed his attacks on some right-wing Euro MPs, whom he accused of "orchestrating a McCarthyite witch-hunt" against candidates who were communist sympathisers in their youth. His remarks came after statements in recent weeks by British and European conservatives.
Said Mr Swoboda: "The hearings must not be turned into a circus by a few right wingers who are obsessed with the ridiculous fear that the new Commission will be packed with closet communists. What affiliations people had 40 years ago in a Europe that was completely different from the one we live in today has no bearing on the challenges that face the European Union for the future.
"The parliamentary hearings need to focus on the competence of the candidates to do the crucially important jobs for which they have been nominated. The hearings should look at the future -- not try to dredge up mud from the past."
Tony Robinson
+ 32 2 284 30 61
+ 32 475 25 74 10
Contact
Associated media
Centre-left invites public to join grilling of Commission candidates. Said Group vice-president Hannes Swoboda, who is in charge of preparations for the hearings: 'We want people to be involved in these hearings because Commission decisions affect us all. We must make sure that only the best possible candidates are appointed for the next five-year term.'
Loading
