European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Union (EU), announced on the 17th (local time) a list of new executive members who will be responsible for EU policy for the next five years.
According to AP and other news agencies, European Commission President von der Leyen presented the new list of executive members at a press conference after private discussions with key leaders at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. The new executive members are characterized by the fact that many of the highest positions are filled by women.
Commission President von der Leyen has appointed four women and only two men as senior vice-presidents, including former Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Kallas as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who oversees foreign policy. Kallas has already been appointed after reaching an agreement with the leaders of each member state’s government.
Commission President von der Leyen also appointed Spain’s Socialist Party Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Environment Teresa Rivera as the lead deputy commissioner for the green transition and as the chief executive officer in charge of competition.
Finland’s Henna Virkunen, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer for Justice and Digital Dim, while Romania’s Roxana Minjatu was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer for Social Affairs.
The appointment of Raffaele Pito, a member of the far-right Brothers of Italy (FdI) party led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as the first vice-president of the Italian government is likely to cause controversy during the parliamentary confirmation hearing in the coming weeks, foreign media outlets such as the Associated Press reported. Pito has been nominated as the first vice-president of the Italian government in charge of integration and reform.
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourgené has also been named as a candidate for the EU’s top vice-president for industrial strategy. The move follows the abrupt resignation of Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal affairs commissioner, giving France a stronger voice in the commission, and many see Breton’s shock departure as the removal of one of von der Leyen’s most outspoken internal critics after pressure from French authorities, the AP reported.
Commissioner von der Leyen promised to make the next Commission gender-balanced, but this was rejected by many member states. When she was unable to achieve full gender equality in terms of numbers, with 40% women and 60% men, she pushed for more women to be appointed to top posts. Commissioner von der Leyen said that EU member states had originally proposed only 22% female candidates before they began to form the Commission in earnest.
“I worked with member states and we were able to improve the balance to 40% women and 60% men,” said Commission President von der Leyen. “And that shows that as much as we have achieved, there is still much more to do.”
Now that Commission President von der Leyen has chosen the next executive team, attention will likely turn to the European Parliament’s hearings. If a candidate fails the hearings and is rejected, it could pressure member states to nominate another candidate.
All eyes are expected to be on Pitot, and some are already criticizing his appointment, AP reported. Rasmus Andresen, a German Green Party lawmaker and member of the European Parliament, said the appointment of a far-right party leader to the vice-chairman of the commission was “completely incomprehensible.” “Would an anti-European be in charge of EU funds?” Andresen asked.
“For the first time, we have one of our European Commission officials from the far right. This is unprecedented,” said Manon Aubry, a member of the European Parliament from the France Invincible (LFI) party.
But Commission President von der Leyen insisted that the Commission should reflect Italy’s influence as a founding member and major economy. “I think the balance has been maintained very well,” she said.
Italian Prime Minister Meloni welcomed Fito’s appointment to the high-ranking post, calling it “an important recognition of our country’s new central role in the EU”. “Italy is finally back as a protagonist in Europe,” he added.
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2024-09-17 16:56:10