Incoming president denies centralising too much power

Date: 22/07/1999

By Tim Jones

ROMANO Prodi has defended his planned administrative overhaul from accusations that he is centralising European Commission power in the president's Breydel office.

The president-designate told MEPs in Strasbourg yesterday (21 July) that it was in everyone's interests to have a “strong Commission, an autonomous Commission, an independent Commission, an accountable Commission”.

Fears have been voiced within the institution that many of the reforms Prodi outlined to his 19-member team last weekend will effectively concentrate power in the hands of the new president, his political aides and the secretary-general's office.

Concern has been compounded by the appointment of unprecedentedly high calibre officials to Prodi's private office (cabinet), which includes one of the Commission's top 24 civil servants, three departmental heads and two directors.

“It is good to have high quality people in the president's cabinet but it all adds up to something quite top-heavy,” said a senior Commission official.