GOA Nominates Science Minister Hahn as EU Commissioner

UNCLAS VIENNA 001384

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SUBJECT: GOA Nominates Science Minister Hahn as EU Commissioner

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1.(U) Following a lengthy tug of war between the ruling Social
Democrats (SPO) and the conservative People's Party (OVP),the
coalition government agreed today on the nomination of Science
Minister Johannes Hahn from the OVP as EU Commissioner. Next
Tuesday, November 2, the Council of Ministers will officially adopt
the decision on Hahn's nomination, subsequently the main committee
in parliament will approve the nomination. Then, EU Commission
President Jose Manuel Barroso will be formally notified.

2.(U) Talking to journalists after today's cabinet meeting, OVP
Chairman Vice-Chancellor Josef Proell explained it was not entirely
clear which portfolio Hahn would get as EU Commissioner. Proell
also said that his party would take some time to decide on Hahn's
replacement as Science Minister and Vienna OVP Chairman.

Comment
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3.(SBU) While the SPO had initially promised the OVP the right to
nominate the EU Commissioner - supposedly in return for SPO
nominations in the public television and broadcasting system - SPO
Chairman Chancellor Werner Faymann lobbied against the possible OVP
candidate former Vice-Chancellor Willi Molterer in the course of the
past ten days, conceivably due to widespread SPO resentment of
Molterer because of his performance in the previous SPO/OVP
government. Faymann also tried to push EU Commissioner Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, a former OVP politician, as his preferred candidate
in order to block Molterer. Hahn is a compromise candidate who also
suits SPO partisan interests since he will now drop out of the race
for the fall 2010 Vienna city elections, and the Vienna OVP will
have to find a new top candidate. HOH