Hungarian Faces Commission Hearing

The new Commission should have started work at the beginning of November, but was held up by disagreements over a number of commissioner candidates. The most controversial was Italian conservative Rocco Buttiglione, who came up against strong resistance for his views on homosexuality and marriage. But he is not the only one.

On Tuesday, the Hungarian candidate, sixty-five year old Laszlo Kovacs has the chance to prove his worth for the customs and taxation portfolio. He was originally nominated as Energy Commissioner, but performed disastrously at this first hearing in front of the parliament last month, astounding members of the parliament with his lack of knowledge on even basic matters.

"From the academic point of view, I was probably wrong when I tried to define what I think of hydrogen, but I'm to say I'm not an academic, and not even an energy expert," Kovacs said after the hearing.

Should he stay or should he go

Although Kovacs has managed to avoid the fate of Buttiglione, Janis Emmanouilidis, an expert in European Affairs at the Centre for Applied Policy Research in Munich, said he believes Hungary should have replaced Kovacs.

"There was a strong pressure to have him withdrawn, but the government in Hungary strongly supported his nomination and didn't withdraw him," he told DW-RADIO. "I believe that because many parliamentarians, not only from the Christian Democrats but also from the socialist group, criticized him concerning his knowledge of the matter, it might have been a wise decision to have him withdrawn."

Kovacs, who is the former Hungarian minister for foreign affairs, is expected to face difficult questions on economics and currency, as well as domestic market and consumer protection matters. The hearing is likely to be gruelling as parliamentarians feel that EU member states aren't take the nomination process seriously.

"The European Parliament is looking at its rights and exploiting its rights," Emmanouilidis said. "It is looking for new areas to show the two other institutions in the EU that the parliament has a strong say."

The voice of experience

However, he also said he believes that Kovacs will bring some political know-how to the Commission.

"He's one of a few politicians in the new member states with significant experience," he said. "He has a lot to offer from a political point of view, but concerning his technical knowledge in certain policy areas, he might be less strong."

The parliament can't refuse individual commissioners, only the entire commission, which means that Kovac's nomination is probably in the bag. So, barring interview disasters, the new Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso should be able to formally present his new team for approval on Thursday.