Verheugen Exposed

EU Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen did not break bloc rules when he holidayed with his female cabinet director, the European Commission stressed Thursday, as a German magazine threatened to publish photos of the pair sunbathing nude together.

"The private holidays of Vice President Verheugen in Lithuania this summer did not violate the rules applicable to members of the commission," said EU Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger. The commission's code of ethics states that commissioners should avoid conflicts of interest and act accordingly in public.

"In relation to the code of conduct, the use of such pictures raises questions of the respect of the dignity of the persons concerned by those who use them rather than questions of the respect for the dignity of their function by the persons concerned," he added.

Focus magazine said the photographs showed German Verheugen with his cabinet chief Petra Erler on a nudist beach during a holiday that they have admitted taking together in Lithuania this year.

"We are still considering whether to publish them," a spokesman for the magazine said in a statement.

Commissioner's nude photos make front page news

However, even though the photos have yet to see the light of day, the story is dominating the popular press in Germany. Bild, Germany's biggest selling daily, made the alleged nude pictures of Verheugen and his chief-of-staff its lead story on Thursday.

"EU commissioner and his lovely cabinet boss -- now there are nude photos!" the main headline of the paper read.

Bild did not publish any of the photos, which allegedly show Verheugen wearing only a white baseball cap with Erler, also nude, while lying in the sun and swimming. Nudist beaches are popular among Germans and attract visitors of all ages.

Earlier this year, Bild published on its front page pictures of Verheugen with his arm draped around Erler and another photo showing the couple holding hands while on vacation in Lithuania.

Some reports in Germany suggested the photograph of Verheugen and Erler strolling in Lithuania in August was printed in revenge for a tirade by Verheugen against EU bureaucrats whom he accused of being arrogant and having too much power. Some media rumors say the scandal was actively brought to light by some officials who were angered by Verheugen's strongly-worded attack.

Nepotism allegations resurface with new scandal

The paper also republished details of Verheugen promotion of Erler to his chief-of-staff in April -- which increased her monthly salary to 11,579 euros ($15,400) from 9,045 euros.

In April, German conservative MEP Markus Ferber accused Verheugen of "nepotism" in making the appointment.

"In appointing Frau Erler it was apparently not only the professional qualifications which played a role," said Ferber.

Verheugen, a Social Democrat who has been married for 19 years, rejected the allegations.

"There can be no doubts over the competence of Frau Dr. Erler," he said in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF. "She is an excellent administrator. The allegation that private and official things are being mixed up here is absurd."

Concerning the new allegations and photographs, Verheugen has said the holiday was a "purely private affair" and that his wife was informed of it.

He called the allegations "pure slander" and stated that "at the time of the appointment as well as today there has been no relationship which goes beyond friendship." But the fresh pictures could call these statements and the commissioner's integrity into question, German papers noted.

The affair is irregular by normal standards of European media reporting on Brussels, which tends to leave tabloid-type details of commissioners' private lives out of the press.

Barroso offers support; MEPs call for resignation

Meanwhile, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso expressed support for his vice president.

Asked about the possible publication of the pictures by Focus magazine, commission spokesman Laitenberger said Barroso expected "people's private sphere" to be respected. This meant not using pictures taken in "private situations without the knowledge and or the consent of the persons concerned," he added.

Verheugen's conduct was a "private matter, not one of public interest," said Laitenberger.

The spokesman said available information showed that Verheugen's private vacation in Lithuania did not violate rules applicable to members of the European Union's executive.

Other MEPs were less charitable, with some calling for Verheugen's resignation. Herbert Reul, a conservative German European parliamentarian told Bild, "I find it unacceptable that an EU commissioner is running around a beach nude with a high-ranking colleague."