Belgium's next Federal Government are meeting on Thursday to discuss who will become the country's European Commissioner for the first time since Les Engagés leader Maxime Prévot was appointed as mediator by the King.
While Prévot was still receiving the parties' negotiating teams separately on Monday and Wednesday, he brought them all together around noon on Thursday, for the first time since Bart De Wever (N-VA) resigned as formator last week.
There is reportedly only one item on the agenda: the appointment of Belgium's EU Commissioner, several sources confirmed to Belga News Agency.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, gave the 27 EU Member States until 30 August to put forward their candidates, although that deadline is not set in stone. However, the chances of a coveted portfolio for the Belgian EU Commissioner will become slimmer if Belgium is unable to submit a name before tomorrow, according to insider sources.
Gender balance?
As none of the five players (N-VA, CD&V, Vooruit, MR and Les Engagés) are officially interested in the position, Didier Reynders (MR) is said to be in pole position to be reappointed. Over the last five years, Reynders was European Commissioner for Justice.
The name of Belgium's former Prime Minister, Sophie Wilmés, was put forward as well, but she was recently elected Vice-President of the European Parliament and made it clear she was not interested.
Importantly, von der Leyen is pushing for a gender balance in the next European Commission but only very few female European Commissioner candidates have been nominated so far.
Belgium is among the countries widely expected to appoint a male commissioner. Member States are requested to put forward two candidates, one male and one female. This, however, does not apply if the commissioner is returning, which would be the case with Reynders.
