Former Czech minister Dlouhy ready to assume EU commissioner post

Dlouhy said that five weeks ago he discussed his possible candidacy for Czech EU commissioner with Prime Minister Jan Fischer, Civic Democrat (ODS) chairman Mirek Topolanek and a "person close to Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman" Jiri Paroubek.

Dlouhy said that he discussed his possible participation in the European Commission for the Czech Republic with Fischer when the Government National Economic Council (NERV) of which he was a member ended its work.

"I then said that I was prepared to consider the post, naturally, if an agreement were not achieved between political parties [on another candidate]," Dlouhy said.

He said he discussed the topic with Fischer once more and Fischer told him that he was bearing his candidacy in mind.

"I simply told him - if you look for some substitute solution bear my name in mind. Nothing more," Dlouhy said about his talks with Topolanek and the CSSD representative whom he did not want to name.

Dlouhy pointed out that none of the representatives of big political parties told him that he could become a substitute candidate if the main candidate were rejected.

The ODS has proposed Alexandr Vondra, former deputy prime minister for European affairs in the previous ODS-led cabinet, the CSSD wants current Czech EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla to continue in the EC, the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) nominated diplomat Pavel Svoboda, former minister and former head of the Government Legislative Council, the Greens (SZ) propose Jan Svejnar, unsuccessful presidential candidate, and the Communists (KSCM) want their MEP Vladimir Remek, former astronaut, to occupy the post.

Earlier today Fischer rejected the media speculations that he was "pushing" for Dlouhy for the post of EU commissioner.

Topolanek told CTK today that the ODS had no reason to withdraw Vondra's nomination.

"If the fundamental political culture is observed in the country then the ODS which has won previous elections to the Chamber of Deputies as well as last year's elections to the European Parliament must as the strongest party haves the right to nominate its candidate," Topolanek says in an SMS message sent to CTK.

Dlouhy today also said that the Czech position in the choice of the important portfolio in the European Commission was not ideal.

However, everyone who seeks the post of EU commissioner should count on the risk that he would not receive an important area of responsibility in the EC, he added.

It is a mistake to ridicule any portfolio. In the course of work in the Commission it is possible to gain the "position on the sunny side and it is possible to strengthen the position of the Czech Republic in the EU even through work in a less imporant area," Dlouhy said.

The information that Dlouhy might become Czech EU commissioner appeared in the daily Lidove noviny on Saturday.

Representatives of the ODS, the Communists (KSCM) and the new conservative TOP 09 party have adopted an accommodating stance on the possibility while Paroubek expressed his sharp disagreement.

Representatives of the KDU-CSL and the SZ have also made clear their disagreement.

Fischer said today that the government would try to choose a Czech EU commissioner from the five proposed candidates if the parties in parliament did not agree on a joint candidate this week.

He admitted, however, that the list of candidates might be extended if ministers of his interim cabinet did not agree on any of the five nominees.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz