ANTI-FRAUD: BRUNER RE-APPOINTED OLAF HEAD AFTER MERKEL LOBBYING.

PositionFranz-Hermann Bruner - European Union. European Commission. European Anti-Fraud Office

The decision follows a meeting of the Commission, Council and Members of the European Parliament on February 7. MEPs' first choice to head OLAF had been a Swedish candidate Bjorn Eriksson, a former police commissioner, followed by Franz-Hermann Bruner. The Council has favoured French national Alain Gilette, an external audit director at the United Nations, followed by Mr Bruner. But EU officials told Europe Information that Mr Bruner, who was the Commission's preferred candidate, won the nomination after direct lobbying by Angela Merkel. Officials said that while Mrs Merkel did not insist on Mr Bruner personally, she wanted to ensure that the Director-General remained a German. Berlin is concerned that it is losing out on senior-level posts as top officials are being reshuffled. The German government was also keen to maintain control over the Commission's anti-fraud activities.

The decision to reappoint Franz-Hermann Bruner provoked mixed reactions. British Conservative MEP Chris Heaton-Harris called the move a "stitch-up". He referred to criticism of Mr Bruner's performance at OLAF including the decision to order a police raid on the office of German investigative journalist...

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