Olli Rehn (born 31 March 1962) is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Enlargement.
Early career
Born in Mikkeli in Eastern Finland, Rehn studied economics, international relations and journalism at Macalester College, Saint Paul, USA. He took a master's degree in political science from the University of Helsinki in 1989, and a PhD from the University of Oxford in 1996 on the subject of "Corporatism and Industrial Competitiveness in Small European States".
He began his political career as a city councillor in Helsinki in 1988. He was vice-president of the Centre Party from 1988 to 1994, having been president of its youth wing from 1987. Elected to the Finnish Parliament in 1991, Rehn led the Finnish delegation to the Council of Europe, and was a special advisor to the Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho from 1992 to 1993. He left the Finnish Parliament in 1995 to become an MEP, aligned to the liberal group.
He was briefly chairman of the Finnish football league from 1996 to 1997. From 1998 to 2002 Rehn ran the office of Erkki Liikanen, Finland's representative on the Prodi Commission. Rehn would later succeed Liikanen in the role of Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society. In 2002 he left European politics for the University of Helsinki, where he led the Centre for European Studies. In 2003 he became an advisor to the Prime Minister on economic policy, a position he held until his appointment to the European Commission the following year.
Rehn is married with one child. He is the youngest member of the present Commission. In addition to his native Finnish he speaks English, French, Swedish, and some German.
European Commission
Rehn served briefly in the Prodi Commission. He was appointed European Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society on 12 July 2004, taking over the role from the previous Finnish Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, who left his post the same day to become Governor of the Bank of Finland. The Finnish government nominated Rehn for the incoming Barroso Commission which took office on 22 November 2004.
Rehn's appointment to the enlargement post was seen as a slight disappointment for Finland, who had hoped for their nominee to be given a portfolio relating to economic issues. Enlargement was a central issue for the EU in the run-up to the landmark accession of ten countries on 1 May 2004, but has since declined in importance, if only slightly. Rehn will preside over the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, as well as continuing negotiations with Croatia and opening them with Turkey, the latter being perhaps the most significant and the most hotly debated future accession.
Rehn favours Turkish membership but has controversially suggested permanent restrictions on the free movement of workers from Turkey, "in case serious disturbances occur in the labour market within the EU as a result of Turkey’s accession,"1 an attitude seen by some as running counter to the whole purpose and spirit of the EU. He has stressed the importance of greater respect for human rights and civil liberties as preconditions for Turkey's entry, while acknowledging the advances it had already made in this respect.
Selection hearing
Questioned by the European Parliament, Rehn offered his thoughts on the prospects for accession of each of the countries highest on the enlargement agenda.
He praised Turkey for the human rights advances it had made but said he would advocate stronger monitoring if the decision was taken to open accession talks by the European Council when it considered the question in December.
Asked about free movement of Turkish labour after the country's accession, Rehn expressed the view that there should be, "considerable transitional periods as well as a permanent safeguard clause." He was cautious on the question of the inevitability of Turkish membership, stating that he did not, "believe in historic determinism," but that if negotiations were begun, "underpinned by the commitment that [Turkey] will be able to join [the EU] once it fulfils all conditions, it will join as soon as it does meet the conditions."
He insisted that Bulgaria and Romania would be judged on their merits and that he would not hesitate to delay accession by a year if the EU's requirements were not met on time. He considered the establishment of a pre-accession strategy for the Western Balkans one of his prime tasks.
References
- Speech in Istanbul on the subject of Turkish accession (full text), 20 October 2004
External links
|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
Erkki Liikanen | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |European Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society
2004
(jointly with Ján Figeľ) | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
Günter Verheugen
(Enterprise)
Viviane Reding
(Information Society)
|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
Erkki Liikanen | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |Finnish European Commissioner
2004–2009 | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
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