Fischer Boel a formidable lady - Allister
17 September 2009
Commenting on the decision of Mariann Fischer Boel to retire as Agriculture Commissioner former MEP Jim Allister spoke of her grasp of her brief as one of her greatest strengths. “Often as a politician when you go to meet a Commissioner or a Minister you cannot help but notice how little they actually know about the subject under discussion and how utterly reliant they are on their advisers – indeed even some MEPs are like that – but in my many meetings with Mariann Fischer Boel I never failed but to be impressed by the depth and breadth of her knowledge and often her passion for the subject.
“Of course, I regularly disagreed with her approach, but at least she was always engaged and was open to persuasion. Often it took quite a long time, like over the re-introduction of milk export refunds, but if the argument was strong enough you got there. She also had the strength of character to fight her corner in the Commission.
“The prospect of an Eastern European succeeding her is unlikely to be in our best interests. As the CAP is reformed it is vital that it is steered towards stability and sustaining incomes across Europe and not just about redressing the perceived parochial imbalances with which many of the new member states are consumed. We need a Commissioner able to rise above such narrow pre-occupations.”
