Next week will cast light on whether the veteran Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip will be serving as European Commission Vice-President – and carry digital domain portfolio.
In Brussels, digital portfolio dangled before Ansip
5th September 2014, 16:36
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«I have talked to the European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, and he has made me an offer, but there’s no total clarity as yet,» said Mr Ansip to whom, according to the knowledge of Postimees, digital commissioner portfolio has been suggested by Mr Juncker. As Estonia has been a spokesman for IT and has it as priority, Estonia’s President Toomas Hendrik Ilves would also like for us to get the job – as known to Postimees.
«While there agreement is yet to be achieved regarding all portfolios, nothing can be said for certain right now,» underlined Mr Ansip.
Portfolio shifts and changes can happen in the 11th hour. If indeed a portfolio is deemed as unfit, and the sour party happens to be a mighty EU nation, mere switch of portfolios between two states may not work as the other may not be happy. Usually, rearrangements then are the order of the day, with selections between six to eight persons.
The European Commission has six vice-president posts. According to EurActiv, the other «vice» candidates would be Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Poland), Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia), Alenka Bratušek (Slovenia), Frans Timmermans (Holland), and Federica Mogherini (Italy). In all probability, the former Latvian Prime Minister Mr Dombrovskis will get the economy/finance portfolio.