The European Commission is considering Austrian-US economist Florian Ederer for the post of chief competition economist, after prominent US economist Fiona Scott Morton turned down the job amid a scandal over the choice of a non-EU candidate for the role, Politico newspaper reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2023) The European Commission is considering Austrian-US economist Florian Ederer for the post of chief competition economist, after prominent US economist Fiona Scott Morton turned down the job amid a scandal over the choice of a non-EU candidate for the role, Politico newspaper reported.
On July 11, the commission announced the appointment of Scott Morton as the chief economist of the Directorate-General for Competition, citing a lack of qualified professionals of her level in the European Union. The decision was criticized by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said the appointment undermined the European Union's strategic autonomy. Scott Morton subsequently declined the position.
Following Scott Morton's decision, the commission contacted Ederer, who has several advantages over Morton, including Austrian citizenship and a lack of ties with large IT companies, the newspaper reported on Thursday.
However, Ederer himself said that Scott Morton would be the best candidate for the position.
"Nobody else brings her level of expertise and experience to the table," Ederer wrote on Twitter.
A professor of economics at Yale University, Scott Morton has previously worked for the Obama administration, as well as a number of transnational digital corporations, such as microsoft and Apple, which critics of her appointment said was a potential source of a conflict of interests.
The chief economist of the Directorate-General for Competition is responsible for the European Commission's policies on competition and antitrust law.
