A large majority in the European Parliament has opposed the appointment of German CDU politician Markus Pieper as the EU's representative for small and medium-sized companies. The MPs called on Ursula von der Leyen's EU Commission to reverse the personnel decision in favor of the 60-year-old party friend from Münsterland.
The background to the allegations is, among other things, that in the initial phase of the application process, two applicants from Sweden and the Czech Republic were rated better than Pieper. According to the commission, Pieper will take up the post in grade AD 15 next week as planned and will receive a basic monthly salary of more than 18,000 euros. The Commission President was indirectly accused of having specifically chosen a party friend in Pieper, according to the MPs' application. The application now calls on the Commission to initiate “a truly transparent and open process” for the selection of the commissioner, it is said. It is supported by the fact that EU commissioners from the ranks of the now critical party families did not take advantage of the opportunity to object.