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On Thursday, 29 May, when assessing Valdis Dombrovskis as a possible candidate from Latvia to the new composition of the European Commission, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee, stressed: “Latvia has gained a lot from the European Union in terms of investments, foreign support and security. Now it is our turn to contribute to the work of the European Union in the best way possible by nominating the most professional candidate for the post of European commissioner. Valdis Dombrovskis, who held the office of Prime Minister from 2009 to 2013, guided Latvia through the financial and economic crisis and accession to the euro area, and that attests to his expertise and skills.”

“Under Dombrovskis’ government Latvia was able not only to emerge from one of the gravest financial and economic crises in Europe but also to return to the track of growth, as evidenced by the rapid increase in Latvia’s GDP. This outstanding achievement has been acknowledged by experts and politicians throughout Europe,” said Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica. She noted that a number of unwritten criteria are taken into account in evaluating the candidates to the European Commission and that they are thoroughly vetted also by the European Parliament. These criteria inter alia include professional competency, good reputation, foreign language proficiency, in-depth knowledge of the decision-making process within the European Union, experience and democratic legitimacy, which was granted by the electorate to Valdis Dombrovskis in the recent European Parliament elections, said the Chairperson of the Committee.

The European Parliament has also urged the EU member states to nominate candidates from amongst the newly elected MEPs.

The Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee also noted that as the former Prime Minister of Latvia, Valdis Dombrovskis has become highly competent in the EU decision-making process by actively participating in the European Council, and he has made personal contacts on the highest political level. This is essential for the Latvian representative to receive a portfolio in one of the most important policy areas in the European Commission. 

When questioning Dombrovskis, members of the European Affairs Committee were interested in his vision regarding several EU issues, including EU federalisation, amending EU treaties, as well as the sluggish discussion about the liquefied natural gas terminal in the Baltics.

When expressing his view about the EC’s agenda for the next five years, Valdis Dombrovskis emphasised that unlike Latvia, Europe has not yet fully recovered from the financial and economic crisis; therefore, in the years to come it has to focus on safeguarding sustainable growth of the EU economy and creating new jobs. The key to sustainable growth is competitiveness, which has to be strengthened inter alia by consolidating the EU internal market. Furthermore, international trade must be promoted by continuing negotiations on signing free trade agreements with the United States and Japan. With regard to the EU’s competitiveness, Dombrovskis mentioned the need to increase investments in research and innovation and to exploit the potential of the digital market.

Valdis Dombrovskis stressed that the EU has to learn from the situation in Ukraine and to work on strengthening a common foreign and security policy.

A representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained the procedure for appointing members of the European Commission. First, the European Council has to appoint the new President of the Commission on the basis of the election results. Once the new President of the Commission has been approved by the European Parliament, he forms the College of Commissioners, or the new composition of the Commission, composed of candidates nominated by the member states. The European Parliament votes on the entire College of Commissioners, not on each individual candidate. In conclusion, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica hoped that Latvia, in the person of Valdis Dombrovskis, would get the portfolio of commissioner for economic and financial affairs. She also noted that no criticism regarding the competency of Valdis Dombrovskis was voiced during the meeting of the Committee.

The term of office of the current European Commission runs until 31 October; however, it can be extended in case its new composition is not approved.

Saeima Press Service