Neelie’s Revenge

When the candidates for positions in the commission were revealed, Neelie Kroes was a controversial choice. The Socialists in the EP complained that she was, horror of horrors, a capitalist. Now she is in a position where everyone will take notice of what she says, she is getting her own back.

Neelie Kroes, the European Union competition commissioner, on Thursday sparked fresh controversy when she backed Angela Merkel’s bid to become Germany’s chancellor and declared that “the election of this top politician would be wonderful for the whole of Europe”.

Its not really her position to say so, but I agree with the comment wholeheartedly. Others have not been quite so happy.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the leader of the parliament’s Greens, said commissioners were required to stay clear of party politics, and described Ms Kroes’s piece as “scandalous”.

Well if that old Marxist is unhappy, that’s an added bonus.