Will we see the end of institutional squabbling if Janusz Lewandowski, Polish commissioner-designate for budgetary affairs, is approved by MEPS? The self-styled ‘honest broker’ wants to adopt a consensual line to avoid conflict and to allow the EU to conc

Interview: Janusz Lewandowski – Citizens are tired of the EU’s internal problems

that as of July the Commission could   present its priorities for the next budget.

So what will be its political priorities   in your opinion?

As history and former negotiations   have taught us

we know that we should first set   the priorities in political terms

First will come the political guidelines,   the so-called Strategy 2020.

Then possibly after June, the review of   the budget with priorities like

cohesion, fighting the financial crisis,

and responding to the needs   of poorer countries.

This should appear.   - Climate change for instance?

Climate change is the biggest issue   now, including in monetary terms.

But this is mainly about   the pledge of the Member States

As concerns the European budget,   this is about 150 million euros,

possibly to be found through reshuffling   and redeployment of existing means.

the question remains the same,   where will the money come from?

but very slowly in comparison   to national expenditure.

National budgets are expanding much   more than the common budget,

which is equivalent to one percent of   the GDP of the European countries.

So how can we find additional   instruments beyond the budget?

By cooperating with   the European Investment Bank,

with the private sector   via public-private partnerships.

So I am very realistic about expanding our   scarce resources via innovative financing.

You said in the hearing that you will try   to follow the path of consensus.

What does this mean? If there is no   consensus you will not propose reforms?

My role is that of honest broker between   two arms of a budgetary authority.

The Parliament and the Council are now   on the same footing in the Lisbon treaty.

So my role is to find   how to interlock them,

how to reconcile views   and find common points,

I think European citizens are tired of   various inter-institutional issues

and the internal problems of   the European Union.

The European Union should try harder   to create real wealth.