The deadline for submitting candidatures ended on August 30. Here is a look at the leading candidates from some of the EU Member States to date.
Bulgaria
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva and the former Minister of Ecology Julian Popov They were proposed on Friday (August 30) as the two Bulgarian candidates for European Commissioner.
Apparently, the candidacies were discussed late on Friday between the Bulgarian President, Rumen Radev, and the Prime Minister, Dimitar Glavchev, and confirmed in a post on X by the Bulgarian representation to the EU.
Thus, Bulgaria is the only country that has agreed to the request of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyento propose candidates before the deadline of August 30.
Italia
The new EU Commissioner announced by Italy, Raffaele Fittohas a long political career behind him that began in Apulia.
Born in Maglie, in the province of Lecce, in 1969, and graduated in Law, he was elected regional councilor with the Christian Democratic Party (DC) in 1990, the first of a series of positions that would take him to Brussels first as a deputy (in 1999, 2014 and 2019) and now as commissioner.
Denmark
Denmark has proposed Dan Jorgensen to join Ursula von der Leyen’s second team of EU commissioners.
The appointment of Jørgensen, a social democrat and widely expected, was part of a broader cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Jørgensen is not new in Brusselssince he began his political career in 2004 as a member of the European Parliament, a position he held until 2013.
Belgium
Belgium has not yet managed to elect a commissionersince the country is mired in political confusion.
It is one of the countries most expected to appoint a male commissioner, despite pressure from von der Leyen in favor of gender balance. So far only very few female candidates for European Commissioner have been put forward.
Spain
The Spanish Executive has formally presented to the European Commission the nomination of Teresa Ribera as commissioner for Ursula von der Leyen’s new team. Ribera currently holds the positions of third vice president and minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge in Spain.
The Government led by Pedro Sánchez, of the Socialist Party, sent Ribera’s proposal through an official letter. Riberawho headed the PSOE list in the recent elections to the European Parliamentalthough she did not take office, was considered the main candidate to represent Spain. In her current position, she is responsible for the areas of Environment and Energy.
Portugal
The Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, proposed the name of Maria Luís Albuquerque as representative of Portugal in the college of commissioners of Ursula von der Leyen.
Maria Luís 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 for which she was again appointed in the second Government of Pedro Passos Coelho (PSD) and which she held until October 2015. Her name reached Brussels, but it still must be validated. by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. She also remains to see what portfolio the future European commissioner will receive.
