Carlos Moedas, secretary of state to Portugal's centre-right prime minister, was today (10 September) offered the keys to the European Commission’s department of research (DG Research). If his appointment can clear the hurdle of the European Parliament hearing later this month, he will take over from the incumbent, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, for a five-year term.
Born in Beja, South of Portugal, Moedas, 44, has no particular background in research policy. He developed his career in the financial sector, working as a banker for Goldman Sachs and Eurohypo Investment Bank, and later in real estate, when he became managing director for Aguirre Newman in Spain.
Moedas is scientifically qualified however, with a degree in civil engineering from Lisbon’s Instituto Superior Técnico, bolstered by an MBA from Harvard Business School. Before his foray into finance, he worked briefly as an engineer for the Suez-Lyonnaise des Eaux group in France.
Fluent in French and English and more technocrat than politician, the bright spot on Moedas’ CV is his involvement in helping Portugal exit its €78 billion bailout programme in May 2014. Those who greeted his appointment today with warmth suggest that this experience will stand him in good stead when it comes to overseeing the similarly giant €80 billion budget of the EU’s research programme, Horizon 2020.
Today’s announcement also put to bed the speculation linking Spain’s Miguel Arias Cañete with the position. The Spanish government’s different priorities, believed to be in capturing a large economic portfolio, meant that the offer of the position passed to Portugal.
Reactions
There’s a sense in Moedas’ home country that he lacks the experience to be appointed and that there are others with a stronger track-record for the job. His involvement in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), over terms for the Portuguese bailout, did not make him popular across sections of Portugal.
He nearly did not make it to Brussels for another reason. Juncker’s first choice Portuguese candidate was the Minister of State and Finance, Maria Luís Albuquerque. The Portugal’s prime minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, was reported to have been said to be happy to nominate her if it looked like his country could secure a top economic brief. When it became evident that this would not happen, Coelho sent Moedas.
Whether a candidate has academic qualifications is not the most important thing for everyone. “I value a person with common sense and a clear vision that can be acted on,” said Kurt Deketelaere, Secretary-General of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). “Moedas seems promising. His experience shows that he’s clever and can work with a large brief. I look forward to meeting him.”
Mission: steer Horizon 2020, work out the chain of command
In a letter from by Jean-Claude Juncker, Moedas is asked to ensure Horizon 2020 focuses more on applied research and attracts more participation from the private sector and small businesses. Other priorities should be improving investment in infrastructure and the performance of financial instruments, as well as ensuring a good combination of Horizon 2020 funds with regional structural funds for innovation.
Moedas is also instructed to keep a watchful eye to ensure, “proposals and activities are based on sound scientific evidence”. Juncker advises that the Joint Research Centre, currently an outpost of DG Education, should be jointly responsible for this. Curiously, there is no mention of the role of the Chief Scientific Adviser, although privately Juncker wanted to delay making a decision on the future of this office until after he got the new Commission line-up out of the way.
One novelty in the new Commission structure is the creation of six Vice-President without portfolios, with a remit for coordinating and motivating groups of commissioners in related policy areas, to work together. “As a rule, liaise closely with the Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness,” Juncker advises Moedas in the letter.
The chain of command will be a bit more clogged than this. The letter also suggests that Moedas, depending on the subject, will be answerable to the Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, as well as the Vice-President for the Digital Single Market and the Vice-President for Energy Union.
Jean-Claude Juncker interviewing Carlos Moedas on 4 September 2014
Moedas will face the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee in a little under two weeks’ time. If confirmed in a Parliament vote in October, he will begin his brief alongside his new colleagues on 1 November 2014.
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