Manfred Weber, the president of the European People’s Party has chose his top colleagues to work with during the term of the European Commission to be formally appointed in early November. Among them is Ouarda Bensouag, a French politician, who has been Weber’s chief of staff, but is to take on the role of secretary general of the European People’s Party and is now under criminal investigation by the Belgian authorities. Bensouag has allegedly been wrongful concerning renumeration concerning her income for work outside the European institutions. Questions of personal income however often strain the whole family which would have influence on EU migration policy.
This might leave a mark on EU migration policies as Bensouag’s husband, Michael Alexander Speiser is one of the top officials inside the the influential Directorate for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs.
A broad investigation might render him and his work stigmatized which could have a detrimental impact on EU migration policy as – according to Spanish portal La Gaceta, which broke the news – Speiser has been responsible for migration and the protection of the European Union’s external borders for years.
A Seasoned Veteran
Before becoming leader of the Directorate, Speiser was the head of Working Group Legal and Home Affairs. He went on to become a top European policy-maker when in 2016, Social Democrat then-President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz was willing to do some horse-trading with the center-right EPP, in order to push for top positions for his cabinet members, Politico reported then. That included an agreement for an EPP candidate to take the reins of the Directorate for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs.
The Directorate for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs is responsible for organizing the work of some of the European Parliament’s committees dealing with internal policies and for assisting Members in the exercise of the legislative, budgetary and oversight powers conferred upon the European Parliament.
The Directorate for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs retains 5 parliamentary committees, as well as the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs providing support to the Members of the various committees in their daily legislative & non-legislative work, to the President’s Cabinet and to other parliamentary bodies in shaping legislation and exercising democratic scrutiny over EU internal policies.
The Directorate and its units contribute to the legislative process, ie. adopting reports submitted to Plenary, conducting negotiations with the Council on EU legislation, adopting own-initiative reports, organising hearings with experts or petitioners, scrutinising other EU bodies and institutions’ action and organising delegations to Member States or third countries.
Speiser is also a “gifted negotiator” with an “enormous network” of contacts in Europe, as well as in Washington, so stakes are even higher, since he has a huge influence both formally and informally on a lot of policy areas, like external borders and migration.
News about the investigation against Bensouag come amid cracks start to show inside the largest political group of the European Parliament. Manfred Weber is increasingly seen by his fellow politicians as an autocrat who is trying to consolidate his power, by placing people loyal to him in key positions.