Czech Republic, acceding countries, likely to gain one commissioner - one vote in expanded EU

Negotiations in Naples, Italy, over the weekend involving foreign ministers from 25 EU countries - 15 current members and 10 acceding states, have seen a breakthrough: apparent agreement on the future make-up of the Union's executive body, the European Commission that would allow each new member, including the Czech Republic, its own commissioner with the right to vote. Something the Czech Republic had made clear was of the highest priority ever since inter-governmental negotiations got underway in October.

Czech Republic, acceding countries, likely to gain one commissioner - one vote in expanded EU

Photo: European Commission

The news was surprising but is still being greeted tentatively in the Czech Republic - the apparent agreement that all 10 countries joining in May 2004 will each have their own commissioner - with the right to vote - within the European Commission. From the very start that has been a priority for countries like the Czech Republic, which had expressed worry they would be left without voting rights in the EU's executive body. The European draft constitution had originally recommended a system of rotating voting rights where only 15 out of 25 commissioners would have had the right to vote at any given time. Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, however, told Czech Radio such a solution would be unacceptable:

"It's essential that the European Commission be effective, that there not be commissioners present who were good for nothing - commissioners without voting rights. Such commissioners could only make recommendations at most, that would only get in the way of discussion. A commissioner without the right to vote would hardly be able to hold a portfolio - he would just be there to occasionally say something and to listen. We can't afford a commissioner like that."

Not surprisingly, Czech media has already begun weighing potential candidates for the post of Commissioner, among them the Czech Republic's ambassador to the EU Pavel Telicka. Other potential candidates include Jiri Dienstbier, a former United Nations ambassador for human rights in the former Yugoslavia, Alexandr Vondra, the former ambassador to Washington, Jan Kohout, the current First Deputy Foreign Minister, and the Foreign Minister himself, Cyril Svoboda. Obviously all have experience in high politics, it will now be up to the coalition government to decide. They will have four months to choose three candidates, one of whom shall then be picked by EU Commission President Romano Prodi. However the first commissioner will only serve for half a year, before a whole new commission comes into office.