2024-08-31 06:45:31
Bulgaria is the only country that fulfilled the request of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to nominate one man and one woman for the new composition of the EC, DPA reported.
Although von der Leyen asked individual member states to nominate two candidates – a man and a woman – for membership of the EU’s executive body, more than half of governments have nominated just one male, and the deadline expires today , BTA reported.
If the situation does not change, men in the new EC cabinet may make up two thirds of its composition.
After von der Leyen was re-elected as EC president in June, she demanded that EU member states nominate an equal number of men and women to ensure gender balance. The only exception to this request was for governments re-nominating a sitting Commissioner, as is the case with France, Hungary and Latvia.
Only Bulgaria publicly proposed a man and a woman. Sofia announced that it will nominate former Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva and former Environment Minister Yulian Popov.
Currently, 12 of the 27 European Commissioners are women. The EU’s executive body proposes new laws and monitors compliance with EU treaties, employing around 32,000 people. Although Von der Leyen is likely annoyed, European countries are not legally obliged to comply with her request about the gender of the candidates, DPA notes. Gender equality is not explicitly mentioned in the EU treaties.