Bilderberg.org

[Charles]

And so it happened that on 01/11/2003 there was a change of Presidency at the European Central Bank:

http://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2003/html/pr031101.en.html

But wait! Wasn’t there another appointment just one week prior?

Indeed there was… The Executive Board had appointed Mrs Elisabeth Ardaillon-Poirier, formerly Executive Director of Press and Communications at the Banque de France since 1994, as Director Communications at the European Central Bank as of 01/11/2003. And the poor incumbent, Manfred Körber, who had held the post since August 1998, had to clear his desk - retiring (apparently) at his own request.

http://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2003/html/pr031023.en.html

OK, so there were two new starters at the ECB from Banque de France on 01/11/2003… What of it?

Well, here I would like to phrase my words very carefully indeed. It looked for the entire world as though the new boss had brought along his closest advisor and installed her without any sort of selection procedure.

But nobody really knows that..?

True. And I must be mistaken because the ECB is a high-profile European institution with officials that exercise the highest standards of behavior in public office.

Anyway, you seem to allude to the fact that he installed his own secretary?

No! I don’t mean that at all. According to the EU Whoiswho listing, within the ECB hierarchy, the Director Communications reports to the Director General Administration:

http://europa.eu/whoiswho/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=idea.hierarchy&nodeID=826&personID=107941&lang=en

However, this does appear to differ from the ECB’s own view of its organisational structure:

http://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/orga/orgachart/bas/html/index.en.html

Very odd! Surely the ECB's Directorate Communications falls within Trichet's managerial portfolio?

That cannot be true. Just think about it for a second. Imagine you were Trichet. If an attractive female colleague from Banque de France joined the ECB - in a senior management position no less - on the very same day that you commenced your duties, with tasks and responsibilities that required her to accompany you on your official duties around the world… I mean, you would definitely take distance in order to avoid gossip and misunderstanding wouldn’t you?

Clearly. Even if you wanted to be in the unfortunate position of inviting such observations in the first place…

You would certainly not exercise any direct say in her remuneration and reward.

Impossible to imagine…

Of course, if her presence in the organization was absolutely required for the performance of your duties…

Pass me that sword; I think I’m falling…

I hope you're not making fun about those beastly Freemasonry ceremonies are you?

[samuel]

http://opinionjournal.com/columnists/bstephens/?id=110009982

The wall street journal took some time to speak about european union bureaucracy being hypocrit about one case of conflict of interest.

It was after all to protect wolfowitz..which lessen their emphasis on a code of conduct.
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What is possible if you take into account the amount of cynism by the majority who vote?

[Charles]

The ECB's Code of Conduct applies to both members of staff and the members of the Executive Board:

http://www.ecb.int/ecb/pdf/orga/c_07620010308en00120015.pdf

Quoting from this document (bold for emphasis):

[Charles]