The European Commission has attempted to inject some bling into the private office of Catherine Ashton, the high representative for foreign and security policy.
The (departing) commissioners agreed yesterday (3 February) to modify their internal rules to allow Ashton a larger (and better paid) team than that of a normal commissioner. The changes include giving James Morrison, Ashton's head of cabinet, a grade and salary equivalent to a deputy director-general. Usually, a commissioner's chef de cabinet has a grade equivalent to that of a director, which was what Morrison had when Ashton was the commissioner for trade.
The Commission also amended their rules to permit Ashton a larger press team than her colleagues. Standard issue for commissioners is a spokesperson and a press officer, but Ashton will have a media team of at least five people, including a deputy spokesman and a media strategy co-ordinator. It takes a lot of people to give Europe a single voice on the world stage.
