Foreign affairs chief nominee fails to impress MEPs

CATHERINE Ashton, the British peer chosen for the powerful role of the EU’s new foreign affairs chief, failed to impress MEPs during a three hour hearing in the European Parliament.

She was accused of lacking ambition and admitted ignorance about some issues MEPs thought she should have been familiar with.

But they are unlikely to reject her when they vote on the new commission in two weeks time.

There was surprise when she said she knew nothing about whether the European Union should have a seat on the UN Security Council – an ambition long debated in the union.

Afterwards, senior German MEP Elmar Brok, said it reflected British fears that the EU would take their seat on the security council.

“It was too much to ask from a Briton. A French candidate would act in the same way.”

He added they were asking a lot from Ashton as she was expected to do the job of foreign chief and at the same time build up a foreign service itself. “We ask very much from one person.”

Another German MEP, Alexander Count Lambsdorff, and also a member of the parliament’s foreign policy committee, said she had done her homework in the past five weeks since she last appeared before them.

“But there was a certain lack of ambition to make this office strong… to make clear that she will speak for Europe, and she has to make this clear in the council and also the commission.”

He regretted that she did not have responsibility for the EU’s neighbourhood policy as it includes the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe. It has a budget of €12 billion for the period 2007-2013; Ashton’s budget is €3bn.

She was asked several times about her work as treasurer for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and if she had changed her mind about nuclear proliferation. She appeared to say she had, stating “what was relevant in the 1970s was not relevant today”.

Asked about her vote in the British parliament in favour of invading Iraq, she said she believed it was right at the time.

Ashton put a lot of emphasis on building a relationship with the US and also with emerging economies, especially India.

But she told the MEPs she did not agree with their demand to vet and quiz the diplomats due to be appointed as EU ambassadors under the new foreign relations structure.