A compromise formula emerged last night which is expected to pull the European Parliament back today from the brink of forcing the resignation of the European Commission.
The compromise is likely to win the key support of the 201-strong centrist European People's Party (EPP) when it reconvenes its meeting this morning. It allows MEPs to reprimand the Commission for maladministration, without naming individuals or forcing them to resign. The Parliament is due to vote at midday.
MEPs are also likely then to back a Socialist amendment which sets up a high-level committee of inquiry into the alleged fraud and mismanagement. Should it name Commissioners as being personally culpable, the President of the Commission, Mr Jacques Santer, will be expected to fire them.
Earlier yesterday reports circulated that Mr Santer intended to resign if any member of the Commission was sanctioned. But sources suggest there was strong opposition to such a course at the Commission's meeting last night.
More than one commissioner untainted by any claims of maladministration is understood to have expressed concern that a presidential resignation would require the whole Commission to resign.
There was no sign that the targeted commissioners were ready to write their resignation letters. France's Mrs Edith Cresson reacted bitterly yesterday to the allegations against her, claiming she had been the victim of a "huge campaign, orchestrated by the German media and in particular by German public television."
Despite strong opposition from German and British members of the EPP group to any watering down of the direct naming of the two most tainted commissioners, Mrs Cresson and Spain's Mr Manuel Marin, Fine Gael members of the group expressed confidence that the majority would back compromise.
"It seems to me a compromise will be worked out," Mr John Cushnahan said last night. "I believe this is a sensible approach - the Parliament has forcefully made its point."
At a meeting last night of the Liberal group, led by Irish MEP Mr Pat Cox, there was still continued support for highlighting names. Mr Cox, whose standing has been enormously enhanced by his tactical astuteness this week, was still adamant that his group had been right to insist on personal accountability that individuals should be held personally accountable.
It happened in all the democracies of Europe, he said, and would strengthen rather than weaken the concept of collective responsibility. Behind the scenes Mr Cox was working for a Commission statement backing treaty reform to allow just that.
Report, background page 15
