Barrot overshadows new EU executive

French transport commissioner Jacques Barrot is under pressure to explain to MEPs why he did not mention his involvement in a French political party funding scandal.

Senior MEPs have asked Barrot to explain why he did not mention a four-year old case during discussions for his candidature both with the European Parliament and José Manuel Barroso.

The new European Commission takes office today after a three week delay and parliament opposition triggered reshuffle, resignations and sackings in Barroso’s original EU executive.

But the new administration is finding it difficult to shake off concerns over individual commissioners after it emerged that Barrot had kept a former, pardoned, conviction to himself.

In a weekend statement, indicating Brussels frustration, the commission president promised that the Frenchmen would come clean.

“Barrot will transmit in writing all the necessary information related to his personal situation and that he is at the disposal of the European Parliament,” said a Barroso statement.

Martin Schulz, leader of the parliament’s Socialists, the second biggest bloc of MEPs, is pressing for an emergency meeting with Barroso.

“There are two outstanding questions,” he said.

“First, should Mr Barrot have disclosed and declared this matter before the parliamentary hearing on his appointment?  Second, what are the implications for future relations between the parliament and the commission?”

Liberal leader Graham Watson has taken a tougher line, calling on Barrot to step down.

“To avoid serious damage to the standing of the new commission, I call on Mr Barrot to resign, or at the very least to ask to be relieved of his duties until this matter can be discussed and resolved,” he said.

Barrot was in 2000 convicted by a French court of “abuse of confidence” in a party funding case involving the ‘Centre des démocrates sociaux’(CDS), an organisation he headed.

The CDS was a precursor to Jacques Chirac’s ‘Union pour un Mouvement Populaire’ (UMP) – and Barrot is a close political ally to the French president.

But the eight month suspended jail sentence he received was automatically wiped clean on judgement by a 1995 presidential amnesty – introduced by the incoming French President Chirac.

Barrot was then innocent under French law – and also unable to appeal the case, during which he protested his innocence.

The case was not unusual: until 1991 there was no legal system governing party political finance in France.

The 90’s saw French politicians from across political parties investigated and in some cases convicted – often for offences relating to before 1991.

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