Journalists have their say on the new European Commissioners, with Rumiana Jeleva's departure taking centre stage. Catherine Ashton was no stranger to criticism for her response to Haiti. Media Buzz keeps you up-to-date on the Europe's new media scene, wi

Press Corner: Barroso's Commission-to-be draws fire from the media

It's hard to get away from the hearings   of the future European commissioners,

which are the hot topic   at the European Parliament

They have taken about 100 hours   and we have the results.

The Parliament has given its approval   to almost all candidates,

except the Bulgarian Rumiana Jeleva,   who had to withdraw in the end.

With me today, to talk about this issue,   I have three guests,

Jean-Jacques Mével, from Le Figaro,   David Carretta from Radio Radicale

and Tomas Miglierina   from Radio-television Suisse.

Hello and welcome to   this new edition of Press Corner.

Let's get to the heart of matter   with the review of the news.

Hi Maria, you have   the European news for us.

We'll start with the flurry of hearings,   of which there were 26 in total.

For 3 hours MEPs grilled all the   Commissioners-designate,

11,000 cups of coffee were   distributed throughout this marathon.

There was the casualty   of the Bulgarian, Jeleva

who ran into trouble due to her   alleged interests in certain companies.

The Gazeta Wyborcza,   a Polish paper, recounts the facts.

The young politician, Rumiana Jeleva,   was not very well prepared

for the role she was meant   to fill in Humanitarian Aid.

According to the paper, this allowed   the Parliament to flex its muscles.

It was the head that had to fall in order   to make this political game credible.

In summary, the correspondent   in Brussels for the Gazeta Wyborcza

believes that the Bulgarian   was the victim of a sad political game,

as the head of the EPP group,   Frenchman, Joseph Daul, said.

You've all followed the hearings,   you can't ignore the facts.

She was definitely the regretful victim   of the system,

something we can speak about later   as there's no need to right now.

The hearings are there to trip up   the weaker candidates, which they did.

The good news for Barroso is that   his Commission will pass.

It's for that reason, that he let   her go without too much of a fuss.

Was Jeleva sacrificed   in the name of democracy?

I think that it was more a matter   of the Parliament's powers.

Each 5 years, the Parliament demands a   head. Last time it was Mr Buttiglione.

The thing is that, at the end of the day,   a Commission lasts 5 years.

The Parliament has to find a way to   influence Barroso and his team's work,

over 5 years and not just over   a few days' of hearings.

It's about prolonging the pressure   on the European commissioners,

What is your opinion on poor Mrs Jeleva?

It's important for a country   like Bulgaria,

which is a little ashamed by this topic,

to come out of this situation   as unscathed as possible.

It's also a matter, as my colleagues said,   of the Parliament's powers,

It's something we've followed   closely in Switzerland,

given that the increased   powers of the Parliament

will affect not only   countries within the EU

In the last week, there has been a lot of   talk about Europe's intervention in Haiti.

Yes, a lot has been written about Haiti.

Catherine Ashton, the new High   Representative for Foreign Affairs

Le Monde tells how she chose   to go to New York,

to see the UN Secretary-General,   Ban Ki-Moon

and to Washington to see the   Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton,

as she said she was neither   a doctor nor a fireman.

This means Europe has only been   represented by the Belgian,

Karel de Gucht,   Commissioner for Development,

Karel de Gucht is soon to become   Commissioner for International Trade,

which does not make him   the best candidate.

According to Le Monde, the Haitian quake

revives the idea   of a European civil protection force,

whose details were included   in a report by Barnier in 2006

Since 2006, this idea has been discussed   but it is stuck with the Council.

Do you think there is a future for this   rapid response corps?

Each new international disaster   reminds us of the urgent need

for Europe to be more visible   on the international scene.

It would do it good, however, I have   doubts over the question of visibility.

I'm still a little bothered   by how much importance we give

to our visibility on the ground.   Perhaps it has symbolic significance,

as diplomacy is also   about symbolic gestures.

But does it not slowly   become just a symbol?

If Mrs Ashton really did make the   comment about not being a fireman,

But I fear that attacking Mrs Ashton   is a becoming a little too easy.

You have to be wary of things   that are too easy.

I just want to go back   to the subject of visibility,

which has reached   laughable proportions.

Why are Europeans asking themselves   if they are visible enough or not?

It is the reflection   of an existential problem.

Copenhagen was a disaster,   things were done behind their back.

In amongst China, America and India,   Europe wasn't visible,

The issue is arising again in Haiti.   As Europeans, we ask the question

It's not a problem of visibility   but of political will, in general.

The Lisbon Treaty was meant   to resolve this question.

It is a little more complex   and subtle than that.

to present this image   to rest of the world?

No, I think Europe's visibility is a   result of the political reality behind it.

The heads of state   have chosen someone weak