Peter Mandelson, the European Trade Commissioner, has never felt constrained by the Brussels convention: don’t stray outside your own policy area. In Prague yesterday he delivered his views on competition, social affairs and single-market policies — all areas for which other commissioners are responsible. As Mittal Steel’s bid for Arcelor continued to raise hackles in Paris and Luxembourg, he said that takeovers and mergers should be judged “on the basis of transparent economic criteria” and not with “the emotions of economic nationalism and defence of vested interest”.
With Euro MPs preparing to vote on injecting competition into the European Union’s services market, Mr Mandelson told opponents of the plan: “Don’t vote against the future.”
To countries of “Old Europe” that refuse to accept workers from the ten new member states, he said: “Have courage — put away your fears.” The strongest opposition to change was found in France. And the country that has given Mr Mandelson the hardest time as Trade Commissioner? France.
Born in London in 1953, the grandson of a Labour Cabinet minister, Mr Mandelson studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford. The former London Weekend Television producer entered politics in 1985.