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The appointment of Dutch overseas minister Wopke Hoekstra as EU local weather commissioner has raised eyebrows — given his little expertise in inexperienced insurance policies and background at Shell.
The information was formally introduced on Tuesday (29 August) by EU Fee president Ursula von der Leyen, who stated that Hoekstra’s governmental expertise will probably be “a robust asset”, particularly for Europe’s diplomacy within the run-up to COP28 and local weather finance.
However the Dutch minister is predicted to endure a troublesome listening to within the European Parliament, the place leftwing MEPs have already raised doubts relating to his capability to uphold the EU’s commitments regarding local weather change points.
Hoekstra, a member of the Christian Democratic social gathering within the Netherlands, has been proposed to take over the local weather motion portfolio beforehand held by Socialists & Democrats (S&D) Frans Timmermans, who left Brussels to run for Dutch prime minister.
His function will fall underneath the oversight of the EU fee vice-president Maroš Šefčovič.
Prior to now, the EU Parliament’s destructive analysis of commissioner nominees has led sure candidates to withdraw.
“This isn’t a accomplished deal,” stated the chair of the parliament’s surroundings committee, Pascal Canfin, reacting to the information.
Final week, the S&D group argued that the local weather portfolio ought to stay within the palms of the socialist household given the monitor document of rightwing events on local weather information — criticised by many for making an attempt to water down and delay key insurance policies such because the Nature Restoration Regulation.
“To withstand the makes an attempt of conservatives and the far-right to dilute local weather coverage, a robust supporter of the European Inexperienced Deal is required, not a consultant of the backlash coalition,” stated French MEP Manon Aubry, co-president of the Left group.
Likewise, local weather advocacy teams have additionally raised issues over whether or not Hoekstra is the proper candidate to step into Timemermans’ sneakers.
“Within the midst of a local weather emergency, we’d like a frontrunner with confirmed expertise and legitimate credentials to steer on this essential portfolio,” stated Chiara Martinelli, director of Brussels-based NGO CAN Europe.
Earlier this yr, the Dutch authorities got here underneath fireplace when a parliamentary inquiry revealed that monetary pursuits in pure fuel extraction within the north of the nation had brought on a collection of earthquakes within the area of Groningen.
In the meantime, a marketing campaign within the Netherlands in opposition to Hoekstra’s candidacy has been signed by over 20,000 individuals.
In 2020, the then Dutch finance minister grew to become identified inside the broader Brussels sphere as a consequence of his controversial remarks concerning the debt disaster arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
His contempt in the direction of southern Europe, which served to accentuate the long-standing north-south divide, prompted Portuguese prime minister António Costa to label Hoekstra’s feedback as “repugnant.”
Previous to his political profession, Hoekstra labored for the consultancy agency McKinsey (2006-2013) and as a company worker on the oil conglomerate Shell (2002-2004).
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