The message is clear: they really, really don’t want him
The message from the rapporteur who drew up the report on Toni Abela’s suitability for the European Court of Auditors could not be clearer than this. They really, really don’t want him.
The Times of Malta has a good story today in which it reports:
Toni Abela should withdraw his nomination to the European Court of Auditors, the rapporteur who drew up a report on the candidacy said yesterday.
Slovenian MEP Igor Soltes, who is also vice-chairman of the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee, said that, following last Tuesday’s grilling, Dr Abela had only one honourable option.
“If he respects himself, and I am sure he does, Dr Abela should withdraw his nomination. He can go ahead if he chooses to and face the plenary’s vote but he has already promised in writing that he will respect the European Parliament’s opinion,” Mr Soltes told the Times of Malta.
(…)
“If Dr Abela presses on with this candidacy, I will obviously have to report to the plenary and recommend that Dr Abela should be turned down.
“We think that Dr Abela is not the right candidate for the European Court of Auditors and this came out loud and clear from the hearing,” he said.
The rapporteur said that while, according to the treaty, the Parliament’s opinion was just consultative and the council (governments) could change that decision, “this will be considered as an affront to the European Parliament”.
