The European Parliament convenes Sylvie Goulard for a second audition

The World with AFP Posted today at 11h22, updated at 11h50

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The European Parliament convened on Wednesday 9 October for a second hearing Sylvie Goulard, a French candidate for a post of commissioner, to allow him to dispel doubts about his integrity, according to a spokesman for the Group of the European People's Party (EPP). "M^me Goulard was called Thursday morning for a second audition from 9:30 to 11 am during which thirteen questions will be asked. A decision will then be taken on whether or not to be appointed commissioner "said the same source.

The French candidate for the portfolio of the internal market, industry, digital, defense and space is hampered by the case of the fictitious uses of the MoDem and by its position of "Consultant" for the Berggruen Institute while sitting in Strasbourg. She did not convince MEPs at her first hearing on 2 October.

Sylvie Goulard resigned in June 2017 from her position as defense minister after being called into question in an investigation into fictitious jobs of assistants of MEPs from her political party MoDem. The European Anti-Fraud Office (EU) has also opened an investigation into the same case. Both procedures are in progress, but M^me Goulard has not been indicted.

Resignation and remunerations

"M^me Goulard must explain why an investigation that forced him to resign from his post as a minister in France would not prevent him from becoming European Commissioner "said the spokesman for the political group. At his first audition, M^me Goulard had declared that"A practice exists in France since the 1990s, according to which any minister, from the moment he would be indicted, should resign", adding that "In the European institutions, such a use does not exist".

Inquiries were also made about the activities that justified significant remuneration obtained between 2013 and 2016 from the Berggruen Institute, founded by the German-American billionaire Nicolas Berggruen, while she was MEP.

After his first hearing, MEPs asked him for written explanations on these points. They asked her whether she would resign in case she was indicted in the investigation in France, which she excluded. His responses were considered unsatisfactory. Coordinators of political groups to meet Thursday after hearing M^me Goulard to decide if his candidacy can be retained or not.

The European Parliament has already failed two candidates: Hungarian Conservative Laszlo Trocsanyi (EPP) and Romanian Socialist Rovana Plumb.