Everything about Olli Rehn totally explained
Olli Ilmari Rehn (born
31 March 1962) is a
Finnish politician, currently serving as
European Commissioner for
Enlargement. Recently his name has come up as a potential presidential candidate for the 2012 election in Finland.
Early career
Born in
Mikkeli in
Eastern Finland, Rehn studied economics, international relations and journalism at
Macalester College,
Saint Paul, Minnesota,
U.S.A.. 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".
Rehn also played
football for his hometown club
Mikkelin Palloilijat in Finland's
top division
Mestaruussarja (now
Veikkausliiga) in his youth.
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 adviser 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 the chairman of Veikkausliiga 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 adviser 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 presided 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'd 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 didn't "believe in historic determinism," but that if negotiations were begun, "underpinned by the commitment that [Turkey] will be able to join [theEU] once it fulfils all conditions, it'll join as soon as it does meet the conditions."
He insisted that Bulgaria and Romania would be judged on their merits and that he wouldn't 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.
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