AS noted earlier this morning, the EPO's President António Campinos continues to resemble Benoît Battistelli, whose recruits and family members seem to be telling Campinos how to run the Office. The latest letters aside, I've decided to record my personal views and interpretation of the current situation. In a lot of ways, as is gradually becoming evident, Campinos quickly becomes an "empty suit" or a lame duck. He doesn't have the charisma or the authority it takes to run the Office and we predict that the Administrative Council will seriously consider whether his time is running out. He has clearly failed to establish a meaningful social dialogue with his staff.

"It's the responsibility of the Administrative Council to correct this."These scenarios typically escalate in several stages. First, the Administrative Council needs to recognise that Compinos has indeed failed to secure peace at the Office. Workers were on strike a couple of months ago. Second, it needs to understand that this is the fault of Compinos and his cabal (mostly people not qualified for the job). Then, finally, steps need to be made to signal to him that his time is running out and his term becomes 'probational'. Based on months-old reports, some prominent delegates in the Administrative Council are already asking some tough questions.

Will campinos be ousted by the Administrative Council before the end of his term? Will they terminate his contract prematurely (with compensation)? Will the Administrative Council finally recognise that a change of President alone is insufficient? A decade or so of nepotistic influx has harmed not only the credibility of the Office but the way it is (mal)functioning. It's the responsibility of the Administrative Council to correct this. ⬆