He was to represent Van der Leyen, President of the EU Commission for Small and Medium Enterprises. But there was a criticism of Piper's personality: relativism was an accusation. The CDU politician is now resigning from the post.
After massive criticism, German CDU politician and MEP Markus Pieper is resigning as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's representative for small and medium-sized businesses. Brussels officials have announced this.
“The President respects and regrets Marcus Piper's decision not to take up his position as SME representative on April 16 as planned,” said Van der Leyen's spokesman. There will now be a new version of the selection process, but only after the European elections in June.
Piper: Can't live up to expectations right now
Piper Handelsblatt said on Monday that his appointment was made more difficult by opposition from EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton. Piper said, “I do not at present see any possibility of fulfilling the reasonable expectations connected with the office, as I have neglected in advance to take office within the Breton Commission.”
Breton, along with EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell and commissioners Paolo Gentiloni and Nicolas Schmidt, expressed concern in a letter about the “transparency and impartiality” of appointing a party friend of the commission president. Piper now told Handelsblatt that the commissioner responsible for small and medium-sized businesses and cutting red tape questioned the practice as “bad form and motivated only by party politics”.
Motion against nomination of Piper
Last week, the European Parliament called for van der Leyen to be replaced as SME representative; A motion written by the Greens, Social Democrats and Liberals was approved in plenary on Thursday with 382 votes. 144 MPs voted against and 80 abstained.
The background to the allegations is that at an early stage in the application process, two applicants from Sweden and the Czech Republic were rated better than the 60-year-old piper. The CDU politician from Münsterland only succeeded in the selection interviews.
Piper: Can't live up to expectations right now
A spokeswoman for von der Leyen reiterated on Monday evening that Piper is a proven specialist for SMEs who have been successful in the multi-stage selection process. He also insisted that the freedom of choice of all EU institutions in choosing their own senior management positions should be respected.
According to the commission, Piper was actually supposed to take office this week at AD 15. According to the EU salary scale, he would have received a basic monthly salary of more than 18,000 euros.
. “Amateur alcohol specialist. Reader. Hardcore introvert. Freelance explorer.”