In the months leading up to the European Parliament elections, farmer protests were ongoing across Europe. The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen – which had previously imposed burdens on European agriculture alongside banks and investor groups – ignored all their demands. The cynicism was already glaring, but the president managed to go even further by paying 149,000 euros to a historian – not an expert in the field – to draft a strategic report outlining the expected challenges in the agricultural sector.
Ursula von der Leyen signed the contract with Peter Strohschneider just as farmer protests were gaining momentum across Europe. The amount reveals that Strohschneider’s daily wage was twice the maximum contractual rate recommended by EU regulations.
This case clearly highlights the irresponsible waste of public funds and the disregard for the problems faced by EU citizens, as the appointee is not even an expert in the agricultural sector. Nevertheless, holding von der Leyen accountable is nearly impossible. The Commission’s rules do not prohibit such “overpayments.”
For instance, Mario Draghi, the former president of the European Central Bank, produced his report – which was presented a few days ago with much media fanfare about Europe’s economic future – free of charge. However, it should be noted that Draghi, as a former banker, remains a man of the financial sector, and what he wrote about Europe’s economic future primarily serves the interests of the banking sector.
Translated and edited by Evan Right
