Frans Timmermans came through his ‘job interview’ in Brussels on Tuesday with flying colours, Trouw reported on Wednesday.

Timmermans, nominated to take the new job of vice-president of the European Commission, answered MEPs questions in five languages, Trouw said, only passing when queried in Polish.

Timmermans, who will be in charge of cutting unnecessary rules and upholding the EU fundamental rights charter, answered questions on terrorists, national parliaments and cutting EU red tape.

According to the EUobserver Timmermans called a recent EU proposal to ban olive oil in jars in restaurants ‘one of the biggest blows to European credibility’ – the draft law was hastily binned, but only after attracting widespread derision.

‘The reputation the European Union has as being too bureaucratic can only changed if we adapt the way we work,’ the website quotes him as saying. ‘The European project is threatened if we don’t reconnect with the people we say we work for.’