In her endeavour to appease all the European Union’s capitals, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the next European Commission, has divvied up the key positions amongst France, Spain and Italy. Within the 27 commissioners, including Ms von der Leyen herself, the presence of women is substantial; composing 40% of the team that will steer the EU’s executive branch over the upcoming half-decade. In a Tuesday press conference, she relayed her initial concern that merely 20% of the nominees would be female, which she found to be entirely unsatisfactory.
The politician from Germany had urged each EU nation to put forth two names, including at least one woman, as she aimed to establish a commission team with gender equilibrium. However, nearly all capitals proposed just one name. Amidst “intensive weeks of negotiations” with governments, Ms von der Leyen, who serves as the German commissioner in her presidential role, strove to augment the number of female nominees.
In the forthcoming commission, Stéphane Séjourné, who unexpectedly replaced Thierry Breton as France’s nominee this week, was awarded a chief role overseeing industrial strategy. The task of supervising the climate transition, alongside the powerful competition enforcement job, has been entrusted to Teresa Ribera, the Spanish nominee. From the staunchly right-wing government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Raffaele Fitto obtained a top role involved with regional development policy. Maroš Šefčovič, the seasoned Slovakian commissioner, was handed the trade portfolio. The prominent economic role of commissioner for the economy went to Valdis Dombrovskis, a Latvian politician serving his third term in Brussels.
Despite the government’s push for Michael McGrath to be endowed with a prominent economic portfolio, he was instead designated as commissioner for justice.
Piotr Serafin, nominated by Poland, will receive the task of supervising the EU budget, while Denmark’s nominee, Dan Jørgensen is set to become the commissioner for energy and housing. The position of the commissioner for financial services, currently in the hands of Mairead McGuinness, will be handed over to Maria Luís Albuquerque from Portugal. The MEPs in the European Parliament must approve all commissioners in the forthcoming weeks before they are allowed to assume their roles.
There was criticism on Tuesday following the nomination of Italy’s candidate, Mr Fitto, as one of six “executive vice-presidents” in the commission. Terry Reintke, joint leader of the Greens group, expressed their concern regarding this senior placement awarded to Italy. The German MEP mentioned the “risk” of the EU’s power centre shifting more to the right. Parliament hearings may facilitate changes in the commission’s structure and Mr Fitto’s position, she added.