Ashton, new HR, apostle of quiet democracy… and Commission coffee

(BRUXELLES2) Of course, this is only a first presentation. Of course, Catherine Ashton only had two days to prepare. Of course, her whole team is not made up, as she says herself: " I don't have an office, no team, no cabinet, I don't have anything other than me. That's not an excuse. It is reality ". But all the same, after the first "exchange of views“Between the new EU chief diplomat and the European Parliament, we are still a little unsatisfied.

Certainly the tempo given by the president (EPP, Italy) did not really allow the person concerned to go into details. By limiting each of his interventions in response to a few minutes, he did not allow the subjects to be explored in greater depth. But it must also be said that the commissioner never took all the time allotted, using this time limit as an excuse to skim over all the "real"external relations matters. The hearing even ended several minutes ahead of schedule...

Certainly the parliamentarians, wanting to sweep the whole field of subjects, from Colombia to Bosnia, via Russia, NATO, Somalia, Honduras, etc. did not, themselves, facilitate the consistency of the answers. And, as a result, we often remained with banalities. In fact, Ashton had learned his "key messages" well. She often kept her nose to her papers - like the student who has a whole series of cheat sheets just in case - and returned them with the minimum conviction that most parliamentarians would be, if not happy, at least not unhappy. . Anyway, the big groups in parliament (EPP, Socialists, Liberals) had announced the color: they did not want to fight (see below). This exchange of views was therefore somewhat unnecessary. It had, at least, one virtue for Ashton: allowing a rehearsal of the "real" hearing which should be held in January (January 11 afternoon according to the first information). A mock exam of sorts...

An ambition: to make "quiet democracy"
His philosophy.

In one sentence, Ashton summed up how she views her work: I believe a lot in “quiet democracy”, you have to build trust and work together, you can work in the spotlight or behind the scenes. We (Europe) have a reputation in the world on our values, we are the biggest provider of humanitarian aid, of projects. »

Large files: we will see

But, faced with the major issues on his table - Iran, Russia, Georgia, Bosnia... - there are few or no answers. "JI don't have time to go into detail","I'm waiting for the meeting...", "it is important (or) at the heart of my concerns" were his favorite answers. Even on Afghanistan, topic of the day, she did not respond. When I was able to approach her, at the exit, I asked her again what she thought of a civilian "surge" from the EU. the answer was: We'll see. We need to discuss this in the Council "...

Somalia: important

Only point where it went a little far: Somalia. " It is important. We must work with the African Union. It is important to stabilize and secure Somalia. We must see how to launch and support the initiatives of the African Union on the ground”. Insiders will thus have been able to understand that the operation to train Somali soldiers could thus be the first "big" ESDP decision that Ashton will take.

Other points to note: on the European Defense Agency, when asked by Arnaud Danjean (UMP), chairman of the Defense sub-committee, Ahston agreed that " The European Defense Agency had successes. But there was a lot of work to do. And that it was necessary to tighten the cooperation »

In the end, as pretty well summed up by French MEP Hélène Flautre (Greens) at the end of the meeting: “ Ms. Ashton is quite competent in her role as a diplomat, so diplomatic and cautious that we do not know the bottom of her mind. ».

A political surprise

Where Ashton has really surprised positively is on the political level. We feel there a certain experience of the spans, of the political corridors which has apparently passed well at the level of the parliamentarians who have even applauded once or twice and smiled at his somewhat pinched humor. Especially since she stroked the parliamentarians in the direction of the hair, emphasizing, on several occasions, her desire " to involve the European Parliament in its work », that nothing would be decided without him, etc... All things that parliamentarians love to hear. She also answered, without too many detours, to her detractors on her inexperience, her nationality, her past... often anticipating these rather difficult questions (1).

Experience Union

« I imagine my appointment came as a surprise to you. It was also a surprise for me, but a welcome surprise. I was never someone who took his job in a restrained way. I have 28 years of experience in negotiation and defense (advocacy) of cases. I hope it will be recognized. »

Appointment process

« I was nominated by 27 Member States, unanimously. It may not be your choice she replies to an MP (British Tory Charles Tannock). " But it is the choice of all the Member States ". (...).

British but European

« I am not a representative of the British government. I've shown it in the past at Commerce. I am pro-European in my country and very proud to be recognized as such she explained (which is all in all brave because claiming you're European when you're British isn't automatically a compliment).

Past

To the question, quite expected, of the permanent UKIP deputy, David Campbell-Bannerman, she hit him with a pupercut in the stomach (not nice, nice, but we are in politics): “We shared, sir, a glass of champagne in Geneva a few days ago and you took care to notify me of your question. » And Bam ! Then Ashton tackled the substantive issue: “1982 is a long way off. I did not receive any money directly from communist parties. I was always Labour, and we fought with democratic means. (At the CND), I myself audited the accounts. We were young. We collected money in buckets as we went along during the demonstrations. So I can't say exactly where the money that was taken in the seals came from”.

Commissioner first

My fellow Commissioners

The impression seems to be confirmed… The High Representative is struggling to get used to her new role, independent, autonomous. She is, above all, a commissioner for external relations, with a few more tools, but does not really intend to go beyond this role for the moment. On several occasions (Moldova, exchange of data with the USA, etc.), it thus kicked into touch and referred these subjects to the other commissioners. " I need to talk about it with my colleagues was thus one of his key phrases.

The coffee is better at the Commission.

And if there was any doubt, she settled it definitively by pointing to her seat. I " will sit at the European Commission she confirmed. " I know where the café is, and how the building works, and I don't have time to think about logistical questions... she justified jokingly. " I could devote all my time to visits to the Council and to activities outside the EU” she added.

Under the guise of a joke, she answers a very strategic question. Commissioner, Catherine Ashton was, Commissioner, she remains and will remain (in the shadow of the President of the European Commission).

(parliamentary corridors) Ashton, an asset in the sleeve of the EPP just in case?

The political groups refused to formalize any satisfaction at the end of this meeting. The issue was apparently raised seriously between the various group coordinators of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament and between group chairmen. Not that the opinion is too negative or positive.

In fact, it's more of a hallway tactic. The Christian Democrats of the EPP in particular fear that by endorsing the socialist Ashton, they will lose all possibility of preventing damage to one of "their" commissioners. Apparently, they fear attacks on the Bulgarian commissioner Jeleva in particular (the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bulgaria is delicate and one or two deputy ministers are threatened by cases). They therefore keep the Ashton trump card up their sleeve. A bit like a "balance of terror": if you threaten my commissioner, I'll blow up yours...

As one deputy put it to me on leaving the room, "if you want to plant Ashton, you can do it whenever you want, it's easy...“And, indeed, past the kind comments, the MEPs specializing in foreign affairs were left really unsatisfied.”If we had to give our opinion today, it is clear, it did not pass“a deputy told me.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(1) see the Introductory Speech by Ashton

(photo credit: © NGV)