Charlie McCreevy, well known at home for his direct, no nonsense comments on the economy, is ruffling feathersin Brussels where one MEP complained yesterday he could not understand "one word" Ireland's EU commissioner said.
The German leader of the Socialist group of MEPs in the European Parliament, Martin Schultz, made the remark in an attack on Mr McCreevy's role in a continuing row over collective bargaining agreements and social policy in Sweden.
Mr Schultz, who last week described Mr McCreevy as "a loose cannon whose arrogant opinions have provoked anti-EU feeling across Europe" said he was impressed with the commissioner when he could understand him.
"I met him. I didn't understand one word of what he said, but after it had been translated. I found that he was very impressive," said Mr Schultz, who has asked commission president Jose Manuel Barroso to deliver a public reprimand to Mr McCreevy for comments he made on a trip to Sweden last week.
Mr McCreevy has been criticised for publicly commenting on a Swedish legal row over a Latvian company wanting to set up in Sweden but refusing to sign a Swedish wage agreement. He was interpreted as siding with the Latvian company in resisting wage bargaining agreements as a restriction to the free movement of workers.
Mr McCreevy, who is commissioner with responsibility for the internal market, has already been summoned by MEPs to the European Parliament in Strasbourg next Tuesday to explain his comments.
A spokeswoman for Mr McCreevy would not comment on Mr Schultz's remarks on Mr McCreevy's accent. She said the commissioner had been very impressed, however, with Mr Schultz and it was good to have a debate with him.
Later a spokesman for Mr Schultz sought to downplay the comments, stating that it was not in Mr Schultz's character to "take the mickey" out of someone's accent. He said Mr Schultz's English was good but it was not his first foreign language.
Mr Schultz is no stranger to controversy. In 2003 he became embroiled in a major diplomatic row between Germany and Italy over comments made by Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi following a speech to mark the start of Italy's presidency of the EU.
During a question-and-answer session following Mr Berlusconi's speech, which outlined Italy's priorities for the EU, Mr Schulz made a reference to the Italian leader's use of an immunity law to sidestep bribery charges.
Mr Berlusconi retorted: "Mr Schulz, I know there is a producer in Italy who is making a film on the Nazi concentration camps. I will suggest you for the role of commandant. You'd be perfect."