EP Hearing: Very Good Performance of Violeta Bulc
"Especially taking her short preparation time into account, Bulc does not disappoint in the first couple of answers. She comes across as enthusiastic and determined," is how reporter for European Voice Cynthia Kroet commented in her live blog from the hearing.
A look at the Twitter also shows Bulc is being met mostly with praise, yet also with some criticism.
Wim van de Camp, the EPP's coordinator on the committee, whose opinion on Bulc will not be negligible when a vote is taken on her on Tuesday, said she was an "intelligent woman who has already strong opinions".
Several MEPs however complained about the committee being a kind of a "fire brigade" in that it is helping President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker solve the conundrum with commissioner-designates, but agreed Bulc was not responsible for the reshuffle complications.
They noted they had written to Juncker to keep Maroš Šefčovič as transport commissioner after the Slovak candidate gave an excellent presentation at the committee, with committee chair Michael Cramer (Greens) complaining Juncker did not even respond.
Questions put to the transport commissioner-designate ranged from the implementation of the EU's transport white paper, ways of finding the money for investments into the TEN-T pan-European transport networks to social dumping or how to contribute to the EU's green agenda and goals on road safety.
"Unpleasant" questions unrelated to the transport portfolio have not been asked, however she has exceeded the time set for individual answers several times. She is giving concrete answers, often backing her opinions with specific examples rather than figures.
Asked about the main challenges she would have to deal with as transport commission, Bulc said on several occasions she believed in cooperation and dialogue and that she was convinced "good people can solve things well".