Article
Budget Committee Chair Alain Lamassoure: "one of the most influential personalities in the EP"
Institutions - 15-10-2009 - 09:41
Budget chair Alain Lamassoure: "One of the most influential personalities in the EP"
Next Thursday, 22 October, Parliament will vote on the budget for 2010. Frenchman Alain Lamassoure, former budget minister and minister of European affairs, is at the helm of the budget committee that is responsible for preparing the report. Prior to the vote we spoke to some friends and colleagues to gain an insight into how he will run this powerful committee. One fellow MEP tells us Lamassoure is "somebody you can trust" and a "hard worker".
His friend of 45 years, Jean-Pierre Daulouède describes him as "a multi-facetted man" and someone who has "the image of someone competent but a bit cold and technocratic" who does not tolerate those who are not properly briefed. However, as a friend he describes him as "sensitive, emotional, attentive and loyal".
Spanish MEP Íñigo Méndez de Vigo worked with him on the Constitutional Affairs Committee: "He is somebody you can trust, a reliable person and a hard worker. He is one of the most influential personalities in this parliament, certainly within the EPP group."
Alain Lamassoure
- French Minister of European Affairs (1993-1995).
- French Budget Minister (1995-1997)
- MEP (1989-1993, 1999-present )
- Chair of Budgetary Control Committee (1992-1993)
- Chair of Budget Committee (since 2009)
Elaborating on this theme Mr de Vigo says that "back in 2001, the group co-ordinators needed to appoint a rapporteur for the division of competences between the EU and the member states. Despite the fact that it was another group's turn, all coordinators agreed to appoint Mr Lamassoure with the idea that choosing the best person was more important than the political affiliation".
Etienne de Poncins is France's Ambassador to Bulgaria. He knows Alain Lamassoure from the days when the latter was France's Europe Minister. He describes him as "someone who has a great knowledge of European politics" and "deals in substance, never approximations".
Moreover, he goes on to say that in fact is someone who pushes his staff into the trenches to make sure they know their subject" and that the reward is that "he is very loyal to his staff".
On his personal qualities it is Alain Lamassoure's old friend Mr Daulouède who gives us an insight into the man away from politics. He describes him as someone who is modest and shies away from the public sphere. "He does not think his private life should be public."
If the Lisbon treaty is ratified, parliament will have much greater control over the EU budget - making the chair of the Budget Committee an even more substantial post to hold. Mr de Vigo says Mr Lamassoure's focus will be on "how the Union finances itself, instead of this system we have nowadays of contributions from the Member States".
REF.: 20091009STO62246