Van Buitenen has won strong support in the European Parliament, which was already due to vote this week to censure the commission over its failure to control fraud and waste. A two-thirds majority–a long shot but not impossible–would force the sacking of all 20 commissioners. Commission president Jacques Santer claims a cleanup is already under way and says the auditor’s offense was going public in violation of EU employee-confidentiality rules. But van Buitenen says despite all the flak he has no regrets: ““It proves I have hit the commission right in the heart.''
