Ashton hearing. The “Edith Piaf” of the Commission is doing honorably…

(BRUSSELS2) The "foreign affairs" coordinators gathered around the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Albertini, should, as a whole, this evening award a "satisfecit" to Catherine Ashton, approached to be the vice-president of the Commission in charge of Foreign Affairs (and High Representative for Foreign Affairs). The leaders of the main groups (EPP, PSE, Liberals) agree on this point. After her hearing by the European Parliament on Monday afternoon, the Briton fulfilled the sufficient criteria and gave serious pledges for her new functions. Ashton's skeptics are in the minority or must be silent (group solidarity obliges)...



Honorable... not mentioned. During her hearing, Catherine Ashton, without being exciting, did not in fact make any mistakes. Better ! On certain issues (Iran, Middle East, conflict prevention, disarmament, etc.), it showed that in a few weeks (1), it had been able to understand the content of these sufficiently well to be credible enough (post to follow). Very tense at first, mixing up her papers, forgetting questions, not knowing where to turn to answer, she gradually gained confidence, to the point of relaxing in the last hour of the hearing, and in the last 15 minutes joking around with MEPs, making fun of herself a bit. " I know it's not easy to answer yes or no ». I will be more reserved, even very reserved, on its positioning in the field of European defense (read below: the very british vision by Catherine Ashton).

Edith Piaf from the Commission. In fact, the merit of "the relaxation" goes to one of his opponents (the fiercest?), William Dartmouth (Ukip) who in the 148th minute asks him (once again!, the Tory Charles Tannock had already asked him the question) to explain her past as treasurer of the Campaign Against Disarmament (CND), " not mentioned in his official CV". The also accused him of being seriously mistaken at the time ("with you Europe would not be free today") and to deny nothing: "are you the Edith Piaf of the Commission: nothing, nothing, nothing, i regret nothing? Oare you going to admit you got it wrong and apologize ?"... And as she was hesitating for a moment to answer, he wanted to drive home the point: "are you afraid ?"... Which immediately provoked the reprobation of a part of the hemicycle... Catherine Ashton had then a good game to answer that "everyone has his own opinion. It is democracy. It is fantastic to see people from 27 countries all over Europe involved in the European Parliament. It's a big choice of my whole life". Then she replied that " his life was public", that if the CV did not mention his past at the CND, it was because it did not seem to him"not significant for the position she held". Basically, she did not want to deny her commitment at the time: "a commitment to peace. I am passionately in favor of a free Europe. (...) When I was young, I was engaged in disarmament. It was a commitment linked to the freedom movements of Europe. I was passionately for Europe to be free."

A result "honorable without mentions". At the end of the hearing, many deputies came to kiss, shake hands or slip a little word of encouragement to Baroness Ashton (aka Edith Piaf?). The hardest part seemed done. And those around him breathed a sigh of relief... Questioning the deputies, then in the corridors outside the committee, this rather positive impression was confirmed, without being dynamic : « There is a clear improvement compared to five weeks ago, during his first audition” explained several deputies. " We feel that she is more comfortable that she has better control of her files Considers the French Arnaud Danjean (UMP / PPE). Even if he « he still has a lot of room for improvement let go, a little cowardly, one of his party colleagues, held to the discipline of the group. Certainly " not everything is satisfactory »Comments Franziska Brantner (Greens). But it seems that Catherine Ashton won from MEPs the “ Fair average quality as the Romanian Ioan Mircea Pascu (S&D), vice-president of the Foreign Affairs Committee, explains. Of course, « there is no reason to be enthusiastic. We have a new person to build something new. That makes a lot "explained the German Elmar Brok (CDU / EPP) who knows however that" we cannot afford a new crisis (of the Commission)! So... ".

Modesty rewarded. « We don't need a missionary explains the Belgian socialist Véronique de Keyser (S&D).
« We're tired of those who do poses, show biceps, but do nothing more completes another. Catherine Ashton must " evolve in a new context, with the rotating presidency, etc. which obliges him to be discreet”, explains the Belgian liberal Annemie Neyts. Catherine Ashton's positioning for "quiet diplomacy" apparently appealed. His displayed modesty (« I am not elected. You are") did not serve it. Quite the contrary! His commitment to remain close to the concerns of Parliament delighted: “Ve have all asked some very interesting questions but perhaps not got all the answers. I will do my best to be available. The more we continue the dialogue, the more we will be able to resolve the concerns that occupy us »

A note on this audition exercise.
1° It is an exercise that is moreover rare at the national level (at least French) that it is very little understood in its stakes as in the value of its exercise by many compatriots.
2° Certain French deputies have moreover only little understood their exercise. I will name three of them: Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Front de Gauche) who co-chaired the session!, Vincent Peillon (Socialist Party), Dominique Baudis (UMP) asked their little question, stayed a few minutes longer, out of politeness , then left discreetly without waiting for the end of the hearing (2).
3° This exercise remains for the moment unsatisfactory for my taste. By giving very little time to questions and answers, the European Parliament wanted a rhythmic exercise. It missed. On the contrary, we obtain a completely chopped up exercise, where the commissioner barely has time to answer the question and not to develop his thoughts.

NB: On the defense, read : The very British vision of Catherine Ashton on European defense

(1) A first informal hearing took place on December 2. Read Ashton, new HR, apostle of quiet democracy... and Commission coffee
(2) Fortunately a few others, like Eva Joly (Greens) or Arnaud Danjean (UMP), remained

To listen to the hearing...