EU SME Envoy Appointment Raises Transparency and Fairness Concerns, with Some Lawmakers Calling for an Investigation

The recent appointment of Pieper as the European Commission’s SME envoy has sparked concerns about the transparency and fairness of the selection process. A request for a discussion at an upcoming College meeting was made, and four commissioners involved in the process have raised doubts about von der Leyen’s leadership. The two rival commissioners, Breton and Schmit, have already publicly criticized their boss.

In addition to these concerns, it was recently discovered that two women who were shortlisted for the position scored higher than Pieper during the selection process. One of them, Czech Renew lawmaker Martina Dlabajová, lodged an official complaint about the procedure. This led to a group of lawmakers from different political parties submitting written questions to the Commission seeking clarification on how Pieper was chosen and whether his political affiliation influenced the decision-making process.

Despite these inquiries, no response has been provided yet, leaving Green lawmaker Daniel Freund of Germany and others waiting for an explanation. This situation raises further questions about the selection process and its basis for choosing Pieper over other more qualified candidates.