All governments must announce their candidates for the European Commission before August 30. Spain has proposed the third vice president, Teresa Ribera.
Ursula von der Leyen faces arduous negotiations to create her new College of Commissionerswith economic portfolios among the most coveted by the Member States of the European Union. Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, the Czech Republic and Romania have expressed their desire to obtain one of these portfolios, with the budget one being the most coveted.
“We have to negotiate the Multiannual Financial Framework in the next legislature. It will be a very difficult and very heavy file, but also something that will greatly determine the priorities of the coming years,” Janis Emmanouilidis, political analyst at the European Policy Center (EPC), told ‘Euronews’.
France is also opting for a strong portfolio, since it has proposed Thierry Bretoncurrent Internal Market Commissioner, to remain in Brussels for a second term.
“There is always great interest in Competition and Tradeareas in which the EU has many powers,” Sophia Russack, a researcher at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), told ‘Euronews’, “the same goes for those that have a particularly high impact on the budget, for example Cohesion and Agriculturewhich together represent around a third of the entire EU budget,” he added.
The new wallets in play
In these power games, Ursula von der Leyen you can also use Defense, a new portfolio dedicated to the military industryconsidered very relevant due to the war in Ukraine. The Mediterraneanlinked to immigration management, and housing will also have dedicated commissioners for the first time.
To complete the puzzle and appoint the executive vice presidents, the head of the center-right Commission will also have to take into account which political parties supported her re-election in the European Parliament in July.
“It can be assumed that again – given that she comes from the EPP, the Conservative Party – there should be a socialist, a liberal and, potentially, a Green, among the senior members of the Commission,” Emmanouilidis said.
Italy, the EU’s third largest economy, has not yet officially named its candidate. The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloniabstained from the European Council vote to renew Von der Leyen as head of the bloc’s executive.
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), to which Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, belongs, became the fourth political group in the European Parliament and voted against von der Leyen’s confirmation. Which portfolio Italy will get is one of the hottest topics in Brussels.
The gender issue
Another asset to use in negotiations with the 27 capitals It is gender balance, as requested by Von der Leyen, whose first school achieved parity. But fewer than 10 women have so far been designated by governments to go to Brussels.
“She can argue that if the country offers a very good candidate, it can also offer her a very interesting portfolio. There are these kinds of behind-the-scenes agreements that can be made to put pressure on member states. So it is a mix of gender issues, political and geographical, a very complex agreement to applyEmmanouilidis said.
This Wednesday, Spain has officially proposed its candidate for European commissioner, she will be the third vice president, Teresa Ribera. Portugal nominated another woman: former Finance Minister Maria Luís Albuquerque; However, Denmark announced a male name, Dan Jørgensen, former Minister of Climate and Energy.
“The gender question It is also a sign of the current times. Parliament itself is currently made up of fewer women than in the past, not even 40%. But it must also be said that in some countries there are internal procedures, for example, that Parliament and/or the President have to agree to the election of the Prime Minister,” Russack said.
After receiving all the names, Von der Leyen will conduct individual interviews and present the final selection to the European Parliament, which will hold hearings with the 26 candidates. If some are rejected, new names must be submitted until the entire team is approved in plenary session.
