Dalli replacement will have to wait

The Prime Minister has to wait until at least February 9 to replace Social Policy Minister John Dalli in his Cabinet because the appointment of the new European Commission has been postponed by two weeks.

Following widespread speculation, Bulgaria's commissioner-designate, Romiana Jeleva yesterday tendered her resignation and wrote a bitter letter asking Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to replace her.

The Bulgarian government wasted no time and immediately sent Commission President José Manuel Barroso a fresh nomination - Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank vice-president - to fill the post.

Although the swap was rapid and highly anticipated, the process of appointing the new Commission will have to be postponed and a final vote scheduled to take place in Brussels next week has been rescheduled.

European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek yesterday indicated that the hearing of the new Bulgarian commissioner-designate, who has still to be assigned a portfolio by Mr Barroso, will probably take place on February 3. The vote by the EP plenary on the appointment of the whole Commission, originally scheduled to be held on January 26, may be pushed back to February 9. However, this timetable will have to be agreed upon by political groups later this week.

"This schedule is still not cast in stone as it depends on further changes Mr Barroso might make," an EP spokesman said. "If Mr Barroso decides to change the portfolios of other commissioners-designate in view of the new Bulgarian nominee the process will take longer because new hearings will have to be made."

However, sources close to the Commission ruled out the possibility of major changes indicating that the Bulgarian nominee "will probably take Ms Jeleva's place as Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid".

This latest development will mean that changes in Lawrence Gonzi's Cabinet following Mr Dalli's appointment in Brussels will be delayed.

Mr Dalli had said he would resign from his ministerial post and as an MP only once the new Commission was approved by the European Parliament. Contacted yesterday, he said this was still his intention despite the latest developments.

"My intention is to resign my political posts only when the Commission is given the final green light, whenever that will happen," he said.

Ms Jeleva stepped down as Bulgaria's Foreign Minister after her abysmal hearing last week and after being accused of holding back information about her business connections from MEPs.

The EPP, the political family of Ms Jeleva, was the only group supporting her nomination, with president Joseph Daul yesterday saying the Bulgarian nominee was a "victim of a rather contemptible little squabble".

On his part, Socialist Group president Martin Schultz said Ms Jeleva's resignation was inevitable: "Her decision to go is the best outcome for everyone, including herself."