The recent selection of Pieper as the European Commission’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) envoy has sparked concerns about the transparency and fairness of the process. This has prompted a request for a discussion at the upcoming College meeting, with four commissioners involved, including rivals of von der Leyen’s European People’s Party. The stage has been set for political tensions in the lead-up to the European election in June.
Two other shortlisted candidates for the SME envoy position, both women, were found to have scored higher than Pieper during the selection process. One of them, Czech Renew lawmaker Martina Dlabajová, lodged an official complaint about the procedure. In response to these concerns, a group of lawmakers from various political parties submitted written questions to the Commission seeking clarification on how Pieper was chosen and whether his political affiliation influenced the decision-making process.
However, no response has been provided by the Commission yet, leaving Green lawmaker Daniel Freund of Germany and his colleagues still waiting for an explanation. This situation has raised further questions about the selection process and its basis for choosing Pieper over more qualified candidates.
The recent developments have highlighted growing political tensions within the EU Commission and between different political groups. As such, it is crucial that transparency and fairness are maintained in all aspects of decision-making processes within EU institutions.