2024-09-16 18:00:00
Rarely has the announcement of the composition of the European Commission been preceded by such events! 24 hours before Ursula von der Leyen’s meeting with the European Parliament, the replacement at the last minute of Thierry Breton by Stéphane Séjourné as the candidate of France was chosen in the wake of extraordinary events in Brussels. This event, unprecedented in itself, was added to the Slovenian soap opera, responsible for the closeness of the distribution of portfolios by one week. Furthermore, Prime Minister Robert Golob, under pressure from his opponent, has not yet established the candidacy of the diplomat Marta Kos this Monday, September 16 at the end of the afternoon.
Unless there is a minute change, the Commission President however seems determined to show who will do what from Tuesday, September 17. By accepting the withdrawal of the outgoing French Commissioner, the German conservative has shown that he wants to put forward his team, even if he fails to get an equal balance between men and women. If he does not choose the candidates proposed by the member states, the German can decide what responsibility he entrusts to them.
“Essentially in the portfolio and we need a person who has the confidence of both authorities to carry it,” said Emmanuel Macron to justify the European landing of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Even if the European Commission rightfully puts forward the same statement word for word, the bad relations between Ursula von der Leyen and Thierry Breton are public knowledge. In many cases, the head of internal marketing and digital has openly stood up to his boss or acted without consulting him. His head was the price Paris had to pay to secure the coveted responsibilities.
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According to the Elysée, Stéphane Séjourné should become the executive vice-president in charge of “industry affairs, technological governance and European competitiveness” dear to Emmanuel Macron and highlighted by Mario Draghi in his recent report. He should lead the “cluster”, a group of four councils (Innovation and research, business and economic security, economy and money, commercial activities and financial transactions). Defense on the other hand will not be part of it. The former leader of the centrist party in the European Parliament will be able to rely on a single general direction, of the industry and the internal market (“DG Grow” in Brussels jargon) which should strengthen yet Thierry Breton three when previously filter. In Brussels, real power depends on the number of battalions of civil servants over which you have control…
By appointing Stéphane Séjourné, the Elysée is also banking on a more political personality, likely to play an active coordinating role in the three-party coalition that supports Ursula von der Leyen. In the deeply divided European Parliament where there are now three far-right parties, the conservatives of the EPP, the social democrats of the SD and the liberal centrists of Renew are the majority columns. As such, everyone should get at least one executive vice president and lead one of the major priorities of the coming years. Latvian EPP Valdis Dombrovskis, the weight of the outgoing party, will take care of topics linked to the expansion and reconstruction of Ukraine. The Spanish Minister Teresa Ribera will fix the themes connected to changes, first and future climate, but undoubtedly also digital technology. Another socialist, Slovakian Maros Sefcovic, – who started his fourth term! – can also receive the status of “VP-E” and will be entrusted, among other things, with the much-anticipated simplification of European regulations.
Good graces from Meloni
Finally, “in the name of the weight of Italy” and to receive the graces of Giorgia Meloni, Raffaele Fitto, member of the Fratelli d’Italia and the Minister of European Affairs should be re-enforced with broad responsibilities and manage the union, the economy and money of the post-Covid recovery plan. A perspective against which the left and the center have already spoken, but which reflects the right side of European political life.
In total, no less than 14 European commissioners will come from the ranks of the EPP among the tenants of the next Berlaymont. The conservatives should take the important portfolios of the budget (intended for the Pole Piotr Serafin, who is close to the Prime Minister Donald Tusk), defense, energy and even agriculture. Belgian independent Hadja Lahbib appears to favor the migration portfolio.
After an already intense level of nominations, all candidates for a European mandate will also have to go through a three-hour entrance test in front of MEPs, a difficult exercise in which three candidates (including the French sister Sylvie Goulard) fail in the year 2019. so don’t react new adventures.
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