EU’s wannabe climate chiefs made to sweat as MEPs play tug-of-war

STRASBOURG — The EU’s climate leadership hopefuls failed to impress lawmakers as their confirmation hearings descended into a political tit-for-tat among the Parliament’s two largest groups.

After interrogating Wopke Hoekstra and Maroš Šefčovič for more than three hours each, MEPs on Tuesday decided to postpone their confirmations to the European Commission’s top climate jobs until both candidates answer more questions in writing.

The fates of Hoekstra, a former foreign minister of the Netherlands who hails from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), and Šefčovič, a Socialist who is already an executive vice president of the Commission, became entangled after the two groups threatened to vote down each other’s candidates, flexing the limited muscles the Parliament possesses to scrutinize future commissioners.

Šefčovič’s future is part of a “political game now,” said the Socialists’ chief negotiator Tiemo Wölken. “After they realized that Hoekstra didn’t perform well enough the EPP was really disappointed yesterday and said: ‘OK, we will go very tough on Šefčovič,’ which they did and that’s their right,” he told POLITICO.

EPP lawmakers countered that Šefčovič’s performance wasn’t "good enough."

Lawmakers in the environment committee and other panels were left broadly unconvinced after questioning climate commissioner-designate Hoekstra on Monday night and new Green Deal chief Šefčovič on Tuesday morning.

Both candidates now have until 7 a.m. on Wednesday to file their responses to eight questions, including about the Slovak’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Dutchman’s time working for consultancy McKinsey.

Missing the mark

Hoekstra gave a slick performance, eating humble pie from the start over his opposition to pooling national debt during the coronavirus crisis, and putting a big emphasis on supporting socially progressive and ambitious climate policies.

That was already too much for some in his own political family. “Hoekstra was performing very green, that was my problem: Yesterday he went very far to please the Greens and the Socialists and some of my colleagues are already angry,” said EPP environment coordinator Peter Liese — though he added that the Dutchman is still the best candidate for a climate diplomacy role.

That’s not to say the Greens were persuaded, even when Hoekstra promised to campaign for the EU to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90 percent by 2040 compared to 1990 levels — roughly in line with what the EU’s scientific advisory board demanded. Lawmakers, and the Greens in particular, now want a stronger commitment to 90 percent in writing so they can hold Hoekstra to it.

The Left group also wasn’t convinced by the former consultant’s leftward shift. “This transformation is a tad too much, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” the group posted during the hearing.

Šefčovič — whose expanded portfolio as Green Deal chief was considered largely a foregone conclusion until now, given his reputation as a safe pair of hands — delivered a wooden performance that was widely criticized as lacking specifics.

Pascal Canfin, the French liberal who chairs the environment committee, told journalists: "We just got some vague commitment that they will keep on working." He then set out the stakes: “Without this clear timeline I don’t really see a two-thirds majority coming for Maroš Šefčovič.”

The Greens’ negotiator Bas Eickhout also said Šefčovič’s replies on the Commission’s upcoming legislation agenda needed improvement. “We didn’t get a clear answer so he now has a chance to do that in writing.”

The EPP, meanwhile, focused their attack on Šefčovič’s long-standing connection to Robert Fico, the populist former PM who won last weekend’s Slovak election. In his campaign, Fico struck a decidedly pro-Russian tone and vowed to end weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

Conservative lawmakers repeatedly pressed an exasperated Šefčovič on whether he would defend the EU’s policy on banning Russian energy flows against Fico if required. They weren’t convinced even after he declared his support for weapons deliveries.

The Greens also want more details from Šefčovič. “Being responsible for the Green Deal is no side gig,” warned Green MEP Michael Bloss.

What’s next

Group coordinators will reconvene Wednesday morning around 8:30 a.m. to make a decision on whether to back both or either of them.

If two-thirds of the committee approves — for example, the EPP, the Socialists, the liberals and the Greens — the confirmation is likely to progress to a plenary vote on Thursday at noon.

Though Parliament can’t reject nominees by itself, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has to take MEPs’ view into account — and in the past, some candidates have withdrawn following a negative evaluation.

“There is of course a different interpretation of the two different hearings by some but we all share the view that we should fix it fast,” said the EPP’s Liese. He didn’t rule out recalling the nominees for a second hearing, but said he was optimistic that both hearings could be wrapped up this week.