Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president, is likely to fall short of her aim to have a gender-equal top level commission team. Despite her request for EU governments, which includes Ireland, to put forward both male and female candidates, they have disappointed her by not adhering.
Von der Leyen, the first ever female president of the EU executive, was reappointed for a ground-breaking second term recently and is currently assembling her crew of commissioners. These commissioners are high-ranking EU officials who take responsibility for the sectors of climate, technology and industry, forge trade agreements, uphold European law, distribute significant sums in grants and draft the union’s budget.
Following her new term in office, von der Leyen expressed her desire for gender parity in her top-tier team. However, this aim is now at risk with the member states overlooking her appeal for one male and one female candidate proposal.
By the submission deadline on the 30th of August, only fourteen men and five women have been suggested as possible candidates, as deduced from press releases from governments and local press coverage.
Multiple EU leaders confirmed they will not be suggesting a woman candidate, given that no legal obligation is present. Taoiseach Simon Harris, when announcing his intent to nominate finance minister Michael McGrath in June, remarked, “Respectfully, following the treaties, we’ve decided to select only one person”. Moreover, he added in late July, making Mr McGrath exit the Cabinet for a half-and-half shot at becoming the Irish commissioner next was “unfair”. “The Irish government’s standpoint on our nomination is known to President von der Leyen,” he noted.
Among the seven nations yet to finalise their nominations, Lithuania and Romania are projected to endorse male nominations soon. Belgium and Denmark are also widely anticipated to propose men. In contrast, women have an upper hand in Bulgaria, while Italy and Portugal are yet to announce their nominees.
In a less than favourable outcome, the incumbent commission, scheduled to resume office in December, might only possess a female representation of 22 or 26 per cent (counting in Ms von der Leyen herself). This would be a significant drop from the previous commission’s gender balance of 44 per cent female representation which was put in place in 2019.
Lina Gálvez, the chair of the European Parliament’s gender equality committee, has publicly implored Ms von der Leyen to ensure that EU governments suggest female nominees. Speaking to the Guardian, she highlighted the importance of pushing the boundaries and exerting pressure, especially at a time when anti-female movements are a pivotal aspect of fascist, anti-democratic movements. She stressed the importance of not displaying a deficit of commitment to gender equality.
However, things get more complex for Ms von der Leyen due to an exception that allows governments to renominate their currently serving commissioner, without the need for women candidates. A majority of the returning members are male individuals such as France’s Thierry Breton, who recently had a feud with tech tycoon Elon Musk, and Maroš Šefčovič, the commission’s vice-president managing a wide array of responsibilities including EU-UK relations.
This exemption has fuelled a sense of displeasure. A diplomat from the EU, in an attempt to add a touch of humour, pointed out the questionability of having to select a woman when their ideal choice is a man. Slovakia, which has not seen a female commissioner till date, has decided to renominate Mr Šefčovič for a fourth term.
The demand for two candidates was not met with open arms by most EU capitals as the sought-after role of an EU commissioner often gets tangled up in intricate negotiations between ruling parties and/or heads of states.
Describing her nation’s process as “extremely complicated”, Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Ingrida Šimonytė, announced plans this week to send one of her predecessors, Andrius Kubilius, to Brussels following a tense struggle over the position.
Governments that neglect Ms von der Leyen’s call for gender balance could see their candidates being assigned to less powerful roles rather than the “major economic job” that many governments are striving for. In the past, governments that failed to meet the commission’s standards had their candidates appointed for roles in multilingualism, or education and culture.
The prospect of a male-led executive team would stand as a noticeable contradiction to the EU’s gender equality initiative. In 2020, it had proposed achieving an equal gender distribution in all tiers of Commission management by the end of 2024.
Industry insiders argue that a skewed gender ratio in the commission could skew the likelihood of commissioner nominees receiving approval from the European Parliament. Every candidate is required to undergo scrutiny by MEP panels, which is followed by a parliamentary vote on the approval of the entire commission. A second EU diplomat pointed out that candidates may face challenges based on their suitability and the perceived indifference of their government towards proposing female candidates.
A representative from the European Commission declined to provide comments on the gender proportion among candidates. This information was reported by the Guardian.