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Euro MPs seek probe into promotion of Juncker’s ‘monster’

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EU legislators called Wednesday for an investigation into the surprise promotion of an aide to Jean-Claude Juncker to be the top civil servant in the European Commission.

Juncker last week named his German chief of staff Martin Selmayr to be the new secretary general of the commission, the senior position in the European Union's executive arm.

The green and radical leftist groups in the European Parliament said in a letter to other political groups that they wanted an "official inquiry" into the promotion.

"There are indeed serious concerns whether the rules of procedure to appoint staff have been correctly applied," wrote Bart Staes and Dennis de Jong, spokesmen for the Greens/EFA and leftist GUE groups.

"Apparently the whole procedure took place in a quite opaque and fast track way, and even many members of the College of Commissioners were surprised by the recent appointments."

Selmayr, a 47-year-old German lawyer, is affectionately nicknamed the "Monster" by Juncker and served as his enforcer and gatekeeper.

The European Commission has faced growing questions over Selmayr's sudden promotion, which was announced out of the blue on February 21.

But European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said Selmayr "could have been directly transferred" from his job with Juncker to the post of secretary general.

"But he chose to submit himself to a competitive, demanding selection procedure."

The commission said Selmayr applied for a post as deputy secretary general at the end of January and got the job on February 21. One other person went for the job, whom the commission declined to name.

The same day the then-secretary general, Alexander Italianer, a Dutchman, resigned.

Juncker then immediately proposed to EU commissioners at a meeting the same morning that Selmayr should take the post and the commissioners agreed "unanimously", the commission spokesman said.

Juncker announced the decision at a press conference minutes later.

The former Luxembourg premier said Selmayr would be an "excellent secretary general" and then joked: ""He has one thing in common with me -- we both have enemies."

EU legislators called Wednesday for an investigation into the surprise promotion of an aide to Jean-Claude Juncker to be the top civil servant in the European Commission.

Juncker last week named his German chief of staff Martin Selmayr to be the new secretary general of the commission, the senior position in the European Union’s executive arm.

The green and radical leftist groups in the European Parliament said in a letter to other political groups that they wanted an “official inquiry” into the promotion.

“There are indeed serious concerns whether the rules of procedure to appoint staff have been correctly applied,” wrote Bart Staes and Dennis de Jong, spokesmen for the Greens/EFA and leftist GUE groups.

“Apparently the whole procedure took place in a quite opaque and fast track way, and even many members of the College of Commissioners were surprised by the recent appointments.”

Selmayr, a 47-year-old German lawyer, is affectionately nicknamed the “Monster” by Juncker and served as his enforcer and gatekeeper.

The European Commission has faced growing questions over Selmayr’s sudden promotion, which was announced out of the blue on February 21.

But European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said Selmayr “could have been directly transferred” from his job with Juncker to the post of secretary general.

“But he chose to submit himself to a competitive, demanding selection procedure.”

The commission said Selmayr applied for a post as deputy secretary general at the end of January and got the job on February 21. One other person went for the job, whom the commission declined to name.

The same day the then-secretary general, Alexander Italianer, a Dutchman, resigned.

Juncker then immediately proposed to EU commissioners at a meeting the same morning that Selmayr should take the post and the commissioners agreed “unanimously”, the commission spokesman said.

Juncker announced the decision at a press conference minutes later.

The former Luxembourg premier said Selmayr would be an “excellent secretary general” and then joked: “”He has one thing in common with me — we both have enemies.”

AFP
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