SECRET POLICE CHARGE DENIED BY EU CANDIDATE
by Jamie Smyth In Brussels

The Irish Times
October 28, 2006 Saturday

ROMANIA: Romania’s candidate for the post of EU commissioner has
rejected allegations that he collaborated with secret police during
the communist era or accepted corrupt payments.

Romanian prime minister Calin Tariceanu and president Traian Basescu
also backed their nominee yesterday, describing media reports carrying
the allegations as unsubstantiated.

However, senator Varujan Vosganian, who was nominated on Thursday
for the high profile post, has still not received the endorsement of
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, leading some EU
insiders to speculate he is now a "dead man walking".

Mr Barroso’s spokesman said consultations were still ongoing over
Romania’s nominee, who is relatively unknown in Brussels circles.

"There are no specific vetting procedures but there are certain
requirements that a member of the commission must fulfil," said the
spokesman, who denied there were problems with the nominee. "No one
is afraid of anything, people are consulting."

Media reports in Romania carried two specific allegations against
Mr Vosganian: that he collaborated with the Securitate secret police
during the communist era and that he received money inappropriately
from a businessman.

At a press conference in Bucharest Mr Vosganian strenuously denied
the allegations.

"I had never co-operated . . . with the Securitate or intelligence
organs," he said. "Since 1990 my income came exclusively from my
salary as senator, leader of the Armenian community and the writers’
union, and dividends from my two small companies." EU sources said Mr
Barroso was being very careful to scrutinise Mr Vosganian’s background
before deciding whether to back him. "He doesn’t want a repeat of
the Buttiglione affair," said one source, referring to the European
Parliament’s rejection of the Italian nominee to the commission in
2004, who Mr Barroso had supported.

Other sources predicted Mr Vosganian was a "dead man walking" after
failing to get the endorsement of Mr Barroso at a meeting with him
on Thursday.

Mr Barroso endorsed Bulgaria’s nominee after a meeting on the same day.

Difficulties over the appointment of the Romanian commissioner
coincided with renewed tensions between EU officials and industry
commissioner Gunter Verheugen.

Civil servants are reported to have asked for Mr Verheugen’s
resignation following his strong criticism of EU officials.

Earlier this month the German commissioner launched a scathing
attack on officials saying they are far too powerful, have their own
fiefdoms and advance their own opinions as the official position of
the commission.