The Hungarian Candidate for the post of Employment Commissioner, Mr. Laszlo Andor, fiercely denies being a Communist. But he is the editor of a hard-left political journal, and is a standard-bearer for socialism in his country. He opposes globalisation and market economics and “the Anglo American model” — and of course the Maastricht criteria and the Iraq War.
I had the opportunity today to put a question to him on behalf of the European Conservatives at his accreditation hearing. My question is below. I’m not sure that his answer is worth recording.
Question to Mr. Andor
Thank you Mr. Chairman
Mr Andor, We in the European Conservatives Group are very concerned about the impact of EU Employment Policy on wage flexibility and labour mobility. We have seen a constant stream of EU rules which have the effect of adding to unit labour costs and decreasing mobility and flexibility. I am thinking especially of the Working Time Directive, the Agency Workers Directive, and the current proposals on pregnant workers, but the list is endless.
With your background in economics, you will understand that increasing the price of labour reduces the demand for it, and increases unemployment. What will you do as Employment Commissioner to remove these burdens from European economies? What will you do to increase subsidiarity in employment law?
We are also concerned about the so-called Globalisation Adjustment Fund. It is too small to have a significant impact, and the funding seems to go largely to administration and consultants. In some cases it merely moves jobs from one member-state to another, as in the Dell case in Ireland. How will you resolve this problem?
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