歐盟委員會前主席巴羅佐加盟高盛引發請願

A petition against the appointment by Goldman Sachs of former European Commission president José Manuel Barroso has attracted more than 76,000 signatures.

一份反對高盛(Goldman Sachs)對歐盟委員會(European Commission)前主席若澤•曼努埃爾•巴羅佐(José Manuel Barroso)之任命的請願書已吸引到逾7.6萬人簽名。

The petition — which claims to have been started by a group of EU civil servants — is asking for punitive measures to be taken against Mr Barroso, including the suspension of his EU pension, over his decision to work for the Wall Street giant.

由於巴羅佐決定爲高盛這家華爾街巨頭效力，網站上的這份請願書要求對巴羅佐採取懲罰性措施，包括停發他的歐盟退休金。請願書稱，這次請願是由一羣歐盟公務員發起的。

The former EU chief was unveiled as the non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs’ London-based investment bank in early July, a fortnight after the UK’s shock vote to quit the EU.

7月初，也就是在英國出人意料的退歐公投結果出爐兩週後，高盛宣佈任命這位前歐盟領導人爲該行倫敦投行部門的非執行董事長。

Despite a long history of former politicians taking up private sector jobs, the Goldman Sachs appointment provoked outrage from Mr Barroso’s former political colleagues, including France’s President François Hollande who described the move as morally unacceptable.

儘管前政治人士到私營部門任職的歷史很悠久，但高盛的這一任命卻引起了包括法國總統弗朗索瓦•奧朗德(François Hollande)在內的巴羅佐前政界同僚的憤怒。奧朗德稱此舉在道義上是不可接受的。

The petition is more than halfway to its stated target of 150,000 signatories and is due to be presented to current commission president Jean-Claude Juncker at the end of September.

這份請願書聲稱其目標是徵集15萬人的簽名，而目前的簽名人數已過半。

It will also go to European Council president Donald Tusk and the leader of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz.

請願書將在9月末呈交給現任歐盟委員會主席讓-克洛德•容克(Jean-Claude Juncker)，另外還將呈交給歐洲理事會(European Council)主席唐納德•圖斯克(Donald Tusk)和歐洲議會(European Parliament)議長馬丁•舒爾茨(Martin Schulz)。

The European Commission would not comment.

歐盟委員會不願置評。

There is no legal basis for curbing Mr Barroso’s pension, which is more than Euro100,000 a year, since he fully complied with an 18-month restriction period that kicked in when he left Brussels in October 2014.

巴羅佐的退休金爲每年逾10萬歐元。停發巴羅佐的退休金是沒有法律依據的，因爲他充分遵守了從2014年10月他離開布魯塞爾時啓動的爲期18個月的限制期。

Mr Barroso would not comment on the petition, while Goldman Sachs stressed that his 18-month restriction was a longer period than that imposed by most European institutions.

巴羅佐不願就這份請願書置評，而高盛強調稱，他的18個月限制期長於大多數歐洲機構規定的限制期。

Critics have claimed the role is inappropriate given Mr Barroso’s central role in forming Europe’s response to the financial crisis during his decade at the helm of the EU.

批評者聲稱，考慮到巴羅佐在掌舵歐盟的十年期間在制定歐洲應對金融危機方案過程中發揮的核心作用，他出任這一職務是不妥當的。

The petition also references Goldman Sachs’ role in the US subprime crisis and Greece’s crisis and the crucial juncture the EU faces as Brexit looms.

請願書還提到高盛在美國次貸危機和希臘危機中扮演的角色，以及隨着英國退歐臨近歐盟正面臨關鍵時刻。

It (the appointment) is, at the worst possible moment, a disastrous symbol for the Union and a gift horse for the Europhobes that a former Commission President is associated with the . . . values that Goldman Sachs represents, the petition argues.

這（項任命）是在一個可能最糟糕的時刻，發出了一個關於歐盟的災難性信號，向恐歐者送上一份大禮，歐盟委員會的前主席居然跟……高盛代表的價值觀扯上關係，請願書稱。

Mr Juncker has criticised the appointment in two separate interviews.

容克已在兩次訪談中批評了這項任命。

The fact that Barroso works for a bank doesn’t bother me, he told Belgian newspaper Le Soir in late July. But the fact that it’s that one causes me a problem.

巴羅佐爲一家銀行效力，我不認爲有何不妥，他在7月末向比利時《晚報》(Le Soir)表示，我認爲不妥的是他效力的是那家銀行。