Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Latvia, Legislation, Technology

"I believe it is important that the European Commission candidates go through these hearings, it consolidates the Commission's democratic legitimacy. In any case, the hearing was quite difficult, as the economic and financial field causes ideological disagreement among various groups in the EP," Dombrovskis said.

When asked about the toughest questions he had to face during the hearing, Dombrovskis said that they all were relatively ideological.

"While center-right EP fractions held an affirmative position, center-left fractions had a lot of questions in regard to European Union macro-economic mechanisms," Dombrovskis said.

Dombrovskis admitted that the hearing process was a tough challenge that required careful preparation.

The European Parliament held Monday evening a hearing of Digital Single Market – Vice-President Candidate Andrus Ansip, which, as witnesses said, passed successfully, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

Ansip faced 45 questions from MEPs over three hours. Most of the issues focused on the future of data protection, e-commerce and public e-solutions.

Ansip said in his opening speech at the European Parliament that he wishes to give his best in designing Europe's future.

He said that Europe does not yet have a common digital market, although it is ready for it. Ansip said that the world is digitalising every day, but the rules and legal environment connected to it have not been able to, at least in Europe, to keep pace.

He added that not everything has to be regulated, but the digital environment in Europe cannot be left as it is now, because otherwise it is not possible to move forward.

Ansip said he plans to establish a long-term strategy for the single market, in order to reduce uncertainty and create uniform rules for all.

He said that digitalization will create new jobs and support the renewal of the European Union's industry.

Ansip said that every person should have the same rights and protection on the Web, as they have in ordinary life.

Ansip also promised to improve cyber security and fight cybercrime.

Ansip brought also delegates an example of the possibilities of digitalisation, recalling how he and the Prime Minister of Finland Jyrki Katainen digitally signed last December a memorandum of cooperation between the two countries in the field of information and communication technology.

Andrus Ansip's three-hour hearing in the European Parliament passed successfully. The former Prime Minister answered all the questions smoothly, emphasizing the importance of data protection, IT education and regulations and trust.

Public Broadcasting said that a phrase Ansip used frequently was "in the country, which I know the best." This way the former prime minister started every time he needed to give an example of the possibilities of digital signature, e-voting, e-Tax Board, or paperless governance. So listening to Ansip was in a way a marketing campaign to Estonia's e-state achievements, Public Broadcasting said.

Unlike the hearings of Arias Canete or Alenka Bratushek, which placed great emphasis on the past of the commissioner candidates, all questions to Ansip concerned the future of the digital economy. All except one – namely Estonian European Parliament member Indrek Tarand asked Ansip about his ten years of Communist party membership. Ansip said thereupon, that his past is transparent. "All of the Estonian people know that I was a Communist party member. I have nothing to hide," continued the former prime minister.

The three hours of listening culminated in applause.

The European Parliament shall make a preliminary decision on the appointment of Andrus Ansip as Digital Single Market – Vice-President Candidate of the European Commission on Tuesday.