’PieperGate’ crisis re-opens doubts on von der Leyen’s future
The European Parliament on Thursday (11 April) called on the EU Commission to rescind Markus Pieper’s controversial appointment as SME envoy — and launch a "truly transparent and open process" for the selection of a new candidate for the post.
The amendment, calling for the annulment of the controversial nomination, was carried with 382 votes in favour, 144 against and 80 abstentions.
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The Pipergate issue adds to ongoing frustrations within the commission itself about von der Leyen’s style of leadership — fuelling questions about her potential reelection (Photo: EC — Audiovisual Service)
But the commission has confirmed that Pieper will take the €17,000-per-month post next week anyway. "We have institutional autonomy," a commission spokesperson said, arguing that the institution is responsible for its own recruitment policy.
The appointment of German MEP Pieper as small and medium-sized enterprises envoy has sparked concerns and criticism not only from the parliament but also from other EU commissioners and activists — raising questions about the decision-making process and the future of commission president Ursula von der Leyen herself.
Von der Leyen, who is seeking a second term for herself and her centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) at the helm of the EU executive, will need the support of the parliament to be re-elected but this appears increasingly uncertain.
Pieper, who is a member of von der Leyen’s domestic German Christian Democrats (CDU) party, was appointed on 31 January — despite claims that two female candidates were more qualified.
"There are significant doubts if Pieper was the best candidate for the job in this recruitment process, not only in the European Parliament but also in the EU Commission," Green German MEP Daniel Freund told EUobserver.
"Jobs in the commission have to be filled based on merit. If that wasn’t the case here, the whole procedure has to be repeated," he said.
The commission has repeatedly defended that the appointment was done by the book, but the lack of transparency and so far silence from the Berlaymont to MEPs’ questions on the matter has backfired.
The commission’s own guidelines argue that any recruitment should be based on merit, gender balance and geographical balance.
The other two candidates — Czech liberal MEP Martina Dlabajová and Swedish Confederation of Swedish Enterprise deputy director general Anna Stellinger — outqualified Pieper on all three criteria.
And Dlabajová and Stellinger were even rated at least 30 percent higher than Pieper in the recruitment assessments, according to several sources.
Divisions within the college
The vote in the parliament has been the latest in the ‘PieperGate’ saga, which last week saw EU commissioners (Josep Borrell, Thierry Breton, Paolo Gentiloni and Nicolas Schmit) calling for a discussion to respond to MEPs’ concerns over allegations of favouritism.
On Wednesday, during the regular weekly meeting in the commission, a dozen commissioners from von der Leyen’s EPP defended Pieper’s appointment
In the absence of Gentiloni and Schmit, Breton and Borrell raised concerns about the lack of collegiality — a legal principle of the commission’s internal decision-making to act collectively.
And the French commissioner even came up with a proposal for a reply to the European Parliament, arguing that the commission should admit that Pieper was not the most suitable candidate for the post.
Breton has previously advocated for Dlabajová as the best person for the job.
Pieper, who would have to report to Breton as commissioner for the internal market, was appointed on 31 January during a college meeting in which the French commissioner was absent.
Von der Leyen’s ‘presidential-ism’
The exchange of letters between the four commissioners, and EU human resources commissioner Johannes Hahn on behalf of the EU commission president, is yet another sign of internal frustrations within the commission about von der Leyen’s closed style of leadership, and micro-management.
That is in addition to internal EU political splits over her refusal, as figurehead of the bloc, to criticise Israel in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
"The Pieper appointment symbolises at best the process of presidentialisation of the college of commissioners that has occurred under von der Leyen’s clock," Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law at HEC Paris said.
"This [presidentialisation] has been not only raising eyebrows among colleagues but also instigated unprecedented dynamics of antagonism that defy the very idea of collegiality that should govern the operation of the commission," he also said.
In discussions with officials familiar with the situation, there’s a notable sense of dissatisfaction with her decision-making processes — but also a relief about the public debate currently taking place.
"The good thing is that the issue of governance is now out in the public knowledge," one official told EUobserver.