The Portuguese Prime Minister announced this morning his election to the new Ursula von der Leyen College of Commissioners.
Luís Montenegro announced this Wednesday that has proposed Maria Luís Albuquerque as representative of Portugal in the College of Commissioners of the European Union (EU), led by Ursula von der Leyen. “He is a personality of recognized professional, political and civic merit,” stressed the prime minister. “I know it will honor Portugal.”
Luís Montenegro reported on the Government election in a statement from São Bento, open to the press, but without the right to questions. Luís Montenegro recalled the charges of Maria Luís Albuquerque as university professor, secretary of state and minister of state and finance.
Maria Luis Albuquerque was Secretary of State for the Treasury between June 2011 and June 2013. In July 2013 she was appointed Minister of State and Finance, a position to which she was again appointed in the second Government of Pedro Passos Coelho and which she held until October 2015.
His name has reached Brussels, but must still be validated by the president of the European CommissionUrsula von der Leyen. It also remains to be seen what portfolio the future commissioner will receive.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, you “personally congratulated” Maria Luís Albuquerque “for her appointment by the Portuguese Government as a candidate for member of the European Commission for the 2024-2029 mandate.”
Constitution of the College of Commissioners
EU governments have until August 30 to submit the names of their candidates to Von der Leyen, who will be in charge of interview them and assign them portfolio.
The mission of the president of the European Commission of ensure parity between men and women during his second term, which is why he has asked all countries to nominate two candidates – a man and a woman – to have room for maneuver when appointing a College balanced between both sexes.
Portuguese media they already announced the names of Maria Luís Albuquerque and Miguel Poiares Maduro, former Minister of State and Regional Development, even before Luís Montenegro’s announcement.
If accepted by Von der Leyen, Maria Luís Albuquerque will replace Elisa FerreiraCommissioner for Cohesion and Reforms since 2019. The former deputy governor of the Bank of Portugal was proposed in August 2019 by Antonio Costa.
Before Elisa Ferreira, they also formed part of the Colegio de Comisarios Carlos Moedas (2014-2019), Durão Barroso (president 2004-2014), António Vitorino (1999-2004), João de Deus Pinheiro (1992-1999) and António Cardoso and Cunha (1986-1993).
What is the College of Commissioners?
The European Commission, chaired by Ursula von der Leyen after her re-election in July, is made up of a College of Commissioners from the 27 Member States. Each commissioner is responsible for the specific policy areas assigned to him by the president.
As a general rule, the College meets at least once a week; usually on Wednesday mornings in Brussels. In addition to these weekly meetings, the commissioners may be summoned to extraordinary meetings.
