France's Moscovici wins big EU job despite reservations

(BRUSSELS) - Former French finance minister Pierre Moscovici, appointed the new EU commissioner of economic and financial affairs Wednesday, won the post despite German reservations about Paris's ability to meet Brussels budget rules.

The 56-year-old socialist is going to Brussels after a bitter exit from French President Francois Hollande's cabinet in a reshuffle after the ruling party's local election drubbing in March.

But he launched himself into campaigning for a European position through a charm offensive that included hectic lobbying and photos with his young girlfriend and his cat on Twitter.

Moscovici also downplayed the delicacy of his position given that France -- the eurozone's second economy -- has set a poor example as it struggles to bring its deficit down to the EU norm of three percent of GDP, saying on Wednesday that it would delay that until 2017.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has expressed reservations about the appointment of Moscovici to the post of EU commissioner in view of France's difficulties in meeting Europe's budget rules.

But Moscovici insisted: "I don't see where the problem lies."

Moscovici already has extensive experience of the European Union, having served as European affairs minister between 1997 and 2002 and then as a vice president of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2007.

Moscovici -- a keen advocate of public sector intervention in the economy -- has since taken pains not to alienate anyone in his bid to gain backing for the Brussels job.

He said his aim was to ensure "France is loved in Europe and the French love Europe".

Born in 1957 to a Romanian psychologist and his Polish-born psychoanalyst wife, Moscovici flirted with the Trotskyite Revolutionary Communist League in his youth before joining the Socialist Party in 1984.

He became a member of parliament in 1997 after being elected in the eastern Doubs district, the heart of the PSA auto group which he helped save by working for a partnership with China's Dongfeng and the French state -- a bold move for this Parisian who does not have a driving licence.

Intensely loyal to President Francois Hollande, for whom he was once campaign manager, Moscovici pulled out all the stops to gain more support for his bid.

Despite their differences on fiscal discipline, he very publicly defended Schaeuble when he was attacked by France's rising far-right and eurosceptic Front National party.

And in the past few months, the normally guarded Moscovici filtered through personal photos on Twitter, including those of his glamorous partner Marie-Charline Pacquot, who is 30 years his junior, as well as their cat Hamlet.

Moscovici's stint as French finance minister got mixed reviews.

The government failed to bring down record unemployment and its policy of higher taxes raised the ire of many in France.

He was also accused by critics of failing to run a tight ship with some of the ministers working with him speaking at cross-purposes and questioning government policy.