Britain's Commissioner vows to work for Europe
Jonathan Hill - Photo © European Union 2014 - EP
(BRUSSELS) - Britain's controversial nominee for the EU's top financial services job defended his credentials Wednesday, telling lawmakers that his country was better off staying in Europe and denying he would be a stooge for bankers.
Jonathan Hill faced unexpectedly tame questions on regulation and his ties to London's financial industry during a confirmation hearing at the European Parliament for members of Jean-Claude Juncker's new European Commission.
Lawmakers were however expected to give a rougher ride to Spain's energy and climate commissioner-designate Miguel Arias Canete, who faces criticism for alleged sexism and conflicts of interest.
Hill insisted on his commitment to Europe, amid fears in Brussels about the possibility of Britain leaving the 28-member EU in a referendum promised by British Prime Minister David Cameron for 2017.
"I want Britain to be part of a successful European Union," the former lobbyist and head of Britain's House of Lords told the hearing in Brussels, after opening in a mixture of French and Italian.
"I want to work for the common European interest."
The softly-spoken Lord Hill frequently disarmed his critics, joking about his poor command of foreign languages, and winning applause for brushing off a question from a eurosceptic British Euro-MP about his loyalty to Queen Elizabeth II.
Hill's nomination was widely seen as an olive branch to London -- which wants to protect its huge financial services industry from EU rules and a possible transactions tax -- but he insisted that he backed strong regulation.
"I am not here as a representative of the City of London," he said.
He backed EU moves towards banking union in the wake of the global financial crisis, and supported EU rules regulating bankers' bonuses, a frequent sticking point between London and Brussels.
- 'Stop Canete' protest -
The European Parliament will approve or reject the new Juncker commission line-up as a whole in a vote on October 22.
The lawmakers can ask for a commissioner to be dropped or to have their portfolio changed, something they did in both 2004 and 2009.
Canete's grip on the energy and climate change portfolio appeared increasingly precarious ahead of his interview later Wednesday.
Nearly 300,000 people, including 76 EU parliamentarians, had signed a petition against his appointment whilst a "Stop Canete" protest by the Greens and the radical left was scheduled outside parliament before his hearing.
Canete, whose job is crucial amid the EU's stand-off with major gas supplier Russia, faces accusations of a conflict of interest through ties to the energy industry despite having been forced to sell his shares in two oil firms in September.
The bearded Spaniard is also accused of sexism after making macho comments towards a female rival at a debate last year.
Brussels officials said he would still probably keep the job because of a pact between Juncker's conservatives and the socialists in the European Parliament.
But the socialists denied the pact existed and their Spanish delegation said they intended to vote against Canete, throwing his fate further into doubt.
Hungary's Tibor Navracsics, a former justice minister, also faces a rough ride on Wednesday, having repeatedly clashed with the EU over Prime Minster Viktor Orban's crackdown on media regulation and the justice system.
The European Commission is the EU's executive branch, and will spearhead policy for the bloc for the next five years.