Hübner's recruits

Danuta Hübner, the European commissioner for regional policy, has found herself a new chef de cabinet to replace Dutchman Joost Korte, who left abruptly just before the summer-break for the calmer waters of the secretariat-general. Her new chief adviser is Marc Lemaître who until recently worked at Luxembourg's permanent representation in Brussels. During the Grand Duchy's presidency of the EU in 2005, Lemaître, who will be 34 next month, was the lead man in negotiations on the 2007-13 financial perspective and it seems that he came to Hübner's attention because he was dealing with extremely complicated formulae for deciding the allocation of regional funds. Since the summer, there have been two other recruits to Hübner's cabinet replacing those who have sought an easier life elsewhere. Cypriot national Themis Christophidou and Austrian Madeleine Mahovsky have taken over from John Watson of Northern Ireland and Joanna Szychowska of Poland, who has gone to work in the cabinet of Enterprise Commissioner Günter Verheugen. But might Hübner herself be replaced? Word is that she would be interested in a ministerial post if the Kac-zyn´ski twins' Justice and Law Party is kicked out of office in Poland's forthcoming elections.