Strasbourg [France], October 6: The European Parliament on Thursday backed Dutch politician Wopke Hoekstra for the post of climate action commissioner by 279 votes to 173 with 33 abstentions.
Hoekstra, a member of the Christian Democrats and a former Dutch finance minister and foreign minister, replaces Frans Timmermans, who has returned to domestic Dutch politics ahead of elections in November. His nomination by outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte sparked a lengthy debate in the EU parliament, with his past employment for oil multinational Shell being probed in particular. Hoekstra has assured parliament that he will drive forward plans to cut CO2 emissions in the European Union by 90% by 2040 from the 1990 baseline.
Source: Qatar Tribune
