Gesture politics can only hurt EU

Revolving doors on prisons were a real fascination in this country just a decade ago. Now the concept appear to have been transferred to a European context.

Rocco Buttiglione couldn’t be blamed for not knowing if he is coming or going. Appropriately, given the analogy, the Italian was supposed to be taking up the Justice, Security and Peace portfolio.

The incoming (or is that never arrived?) European Commissioner was effectively the author of his own demise. By elaborating extensively upon on views on homosexuality and marriage, the Italian ensured that his nomination would be opposed.

The incoming President of the Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, has now implied for the first time that he expected to perhaps replace or reshuffle some members of his proposed commission.

The withdrawal of the entire European Commission team before a European Parliament vote after the controversy escalated out of control was an accident waiting to happen.

Forced into a corner by intensifying left wing pressure, Mr Barroso backed down from a gunfight he couldn’t win against MEPs.

Whatever about the rights and wrongs of Mr Buttiglione’s stance, certainly Mr Barroso could have managed the situation in a far better fashion to avoid the confrontation.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean the European Parliament has come out of this smelling of roses.

The entire affair is ultimately a clash between two power blocs as the once all-powerful Commission must now yield to the upstart Parliament.

It’s not the first time that this type of scenario has emerged. Running the gauntlet of the European Parliament hearings in 1994, Padraig Flynn also got “handbagged” and emerged bruised but not broken.

The most celebrated incident came in March 1999 when the entire Commission was prematurely forced out of office by the Parliament over corruption claims.

Nonetheless there will be a great number of disaffected EU citizens wondering this weekend if the debacle is merely a case of political correctness gone made and another example of the Parliament proving it is out of touch with its electorate.

Rather than enhancing the reputation of the EU institutions, this crisis has done a significant degree of damage to the EU’s credibility.

The only certainty is that Mr Buttiglione will not be the European Commissioner on Justice, Security and Peace. If he is retained within the line-up, he will have to be placed into an equally important portfolio.

Rocco Buttiglione isn’t acceptable to the left because he shares the religious beliefs of the Catholic Church.

Nobody is asking the European Parliament, or anybody else for that matter, to agree with him but the man is entitled to hold his views. The key point is whether Mr Buttiglione’s views will impinge upon him carrying out his duties and there is scant evidence in that regard.

By all accounts, he is a man of immense intellect with a proven track record. At the end of the day, the European Commission has an agreed programme of work and acts in the interests of its member states.

On the plus side, he can also not be regarded as a Euro lapdog who will merely push through the policies put forward by Eurocrats.

While he has been attacked for being a key element in the Italian Government holding up agreement on the European Arrest Warrant, it must be remembered that the civil liberties groups expressed opposition to the introduction of this measure. The self same people are now accusing him of holding reactionary prejudices.

Now that it has been decided by common consensus that Mr Buttiglione is unfit for the office he was directed towards, it’s worth noting the furore just a month ago when Seamus Brennan was appointed as Minister for Social Welfare.

In his first days in the job, the apparently right-wing Minister proved he was an immense improvement on his allegedly “caring” predecessor, Mary Coughlan.

Right from the off, Mr Brennan engaged in consultation, vowed to fight hard at the Cabinet table for increased social welfare payments and agreed to review the Savage 16 cuts brought in by Ms Coughlan.

Sometimes it’s the most inappropriate appointments that turn out to be most effective. Never mind the dogma, it’s the ability to deliver that really matters.