European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will reveal the composition of her new team of commissioners on 17 September in Strasbourg.
According to statements from the respective institutions, President von der Leyen will present her selection of commissioner candidates and their assigned roles at a conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament at 09:00 on that Tuesday.
This committee includes the European Parliament’s President, Roberta Metsola, and the heads of political factions. It will take place during the European Parliament’s first plenary session of the new term.
This announcement was initially planned for this Wednesday, but the last-minute withdrawal of Slovenian candidate, former Chief of the Audit Court Tomaz Vesel, and his substitution with ex-diplomat Marta Kos, required additional parliamentary approval. The approval is due on Friday in Ljubljana before the decision is formally passed on to Brussels.
In the second Von der Leyen executive body, Belgian candidate Hadja Lahbib, Foreign and European Affairs Minister of the outgoing government, is believed to be in line for the migration policy portfolio.
Last week, she was selected by the MR party leader, replacing outgoing commissioner and party colleague Didier Reynders, The decision followed discussions between parties negotiating a new Federal Government (N-VA, MR, Engagés, CD&V, Vooruit), despite objections from other outgoing government parties (Ecolo, Groen and PS).
Gender imbalance
Von der Leyen is striving for gender parity in the second group of commissioners she is expected to lead until 2029. She requested that capitals nominate two candidates – a man and a woman – except if the outgoing commissioner was being reappointed, in which case she would opt for the latter.
However, too few Member States complied. A mere ten female candidates were put forward for the remaining 26 positions. Von der Leyen confirmed last week that she would likely assign significant portfolios to the women on her team.
Next Tuesday’s presentation will clear the path for candidate hearings by MEPs in the weeks that follow. Each candidate will be considered in the committees relevant to their capabilities.
This is not a mere formality, as some candidates were previously rejected and had to be replaced. Only once each candidate has passed this “examination” will the European Parliament be able to formally endorse the new Commission through a vote on the entire team.
