Reappointing Kroes is in the European and Dutch interest

The Dutch cabinet is wrong not too push for the reappointment of Neelie Kroes as EU Commisionner for Competition.

The European heads of government are deliberating this week about who will become the permanent president of the European Council, the first 'EU president'. Dutch politicians are following the process closely: does prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende stand a chance or not?

There is another question, just as interesting, for which there is far less attention: who will the Netherlands nominate to serve on the new European Commission, and what portfolio will he or she be given?

The composition of the European Commission is imperfect by definition. The rules say every one of the 27 member states can provide one and only one member of the Commission. It is only natural then that the political affiliation of a country's Commissioner plays a role in the selection.

That's a pity, because Commissioners are not supposed to be representatives of their countries. Rather, they are the executive power of European political decision-making and they are meant to serve the collective interest of Europe.

The Dutch cabinet has decided not to push for the reappointment of the current Dutch Commissioner, Neelie Kroes on Competition. One of the reasons is that both Kroes and her predecessor Frits Bolkestein belong to the right-wing liberal party VVD, and the consensus is that another party should have a shot at the Commission. What's more, it is said, if Balkenende becomes EU president, chances are slim that the Netherlands will be given another important portfolio like Competition.

It is debatable whether Balkenende getting the top job, or the Netherlands getting an important portfolio, really does much for the country's interests. It is certainly a pleasant thing for a country's diplomats, but it is doubtful that Portugal has gained much prestige in the world because its former prime minister José Manuel Barroso is president of the Commission.

The real interest is in having the best man or woman for the job, regardless of their nationality or political affiliation. The job of the Commissioners is to implement the decrees that have been more or less democratically legitimised by the European Council and the European parliament.

It is lucky that European and Dutch interests often coincide. This is certainly the case with competition: an open economy like the Dutch, with its trade concentrated mostly within the EU's borders, is especially vulnerable to protectionist measures by other countries.

For the past few years Commissioner Kroes has been the one to step in whenever the rules of competition were trampled. She has demonstrated that government doesn't have to be big to be effective. In the interest of the continuity of this policy it is desirable that Kroes should be reappointed. It is in Europe's interest, and it is in the Dutch interest.