Hungary's disputed nominee for the European Commission won parliamentary approval on Tuesday after taking an orthodox line in opposing EU tax harmonisation. Former Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs, reshuffled to the taxation portfolio, showed himself to be better prepared than at a failed confirmation hearing for the energy brief. "There was a large majority in favour of the Hungarian commissioner-designate," a senior member of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs said after party leaders approved his performance.
Kovacs was also made to defend his Communist past, spelling out his role in opening the borders of eastern Europe in 1989 and accusing critics of fabricating evidence to smear him.
Rejecting calls from Germany and France to force new east European members to raise taxes on company profits, he told the panel he did not plan to propose legislation to harmonise corporate tax rates in the 25-nation bloc.
"For the time being I don't see any community action on corporate tax rates. This should be left to the decision of each member state," Kovacs said.
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