On Tuesday, September 17, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with the Conference of Presidents of the political groups in the European Parliament to present the planned structure of the new college. The proposals for the new Commission for the next five years result from intensive weeks of negotiations with the Member States. Key targets include the region’s security, robust military manufacturing capacity, growth and energy, competitiveness, and climate change.
Each of the 27 member states will have one seat at the Commission’s table, a role comparable to a government minister, although its political weight varies greatly depending on the portfolio. The appointment of the Commissioners is always the result of tough negotiations with member states and careful balancing of each country’s weight, party affiliation, and gender.
The next EU Commission is expected to take office by the end of the year, meaning one of its first tasks will be dealing with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November. The new Commission will have 11 women, representing 40% of the Commissioners. Von der Leyen assigned six Executive Vice-presidents, four women and two men. Three are from Member States that joined before the fall of the Iron Curtain, and three are from Member States that joined after Europe was reunited, specifically from the Baltics, Nordics, and Eastern Europe, including ministers and prime ministers.
The Commission’s president highlighted that they are from “Different backgrounds. But all with one common goal—and that is to make Europe stronger. “
The team of Executive Vice-Presidents includes Spanish Teresa Ribera (S&D), Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition and Competition policy; Finnish Henna Virkkunen (EPP), Executive Vice-President for Tech-Sovereignty, Security and Democracy; Stéphane Séjourné (France, Renew): Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy and Industry, SMEs and the Single Market portfolio; Former Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Renew): High Representative and Vice-President; Romanian Roxana Mînzatu (S&D): Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness; Italian Raffaele Fitto (ECR): Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms.
Energy and climate change
Von der Leyen told a news conference that climate change remains the major backdrop for EU policies. But compared to her first term, security and competitiveness have become priorities, too.
Dan Jørgensen (S&D) from Denmark will be the Commissioner for Energy and Housing. His work will help reduce energy prices, invest in clean energy, and ensure the EU cuts its dependencies. He will be the first-ever Commissioner for Housing, looking at all aspects of housing, from energy efficiency to investment and construction.
Dutch Wopke Hoekstra (EPP) will be the Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero, and Clean Growth. He will continue to work on implementation and adaptation, climate diplomacy, and decarbonisation. He will also be responsible for taxation.
Jessika Roswall (EPP) from Sweden will be the Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy. She will help develop a more circular and competitive economy and lead the work on water resilience, which is a big priority for the years ahead.
Luxembourgish Christophe Hansen (EPP) will be the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food. He will bring to life the report and recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue and, based on them, develop a Vision for Agriculture and Food in the first 100 days of the mandate.
Costas Kadis from Cyprus will be the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans. He will help build a resilient, competitive, and sustainable sector and present the first European Oceans Pact.
Research and development
“We must put research and innovation, science and technology at the centre of our economy,” emphasised Ursula von der Leyen.
Ekaterina Zaharieva (EPP), former Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, will be Commissioner for Research and Innovation. She will help ensure that the EU invests more and focuses its spending on strategic priorities and on groundbreaking innovation.
Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi will be the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. He will be responsible for building the European Health Union and continuing the work on beating cancer and preventive health.
Justice and fairness
Irish Michael McGrath (ALDE) will be the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law. He will be responsible for advancing the European Democracy Shield and leading the Commission’s work on the rule of law, anti-corruption, and consumer protection.
Glenn Micallef (S&D) from Malta will be the Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Culture, Youth, and Sport. Intergenerational fairness is a cross-cutting topic that affects everyone, especially young people.
Growth and competitiveness
Slovak Maroš Šefčovič will have two roles. He will be the Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, a new portfolio that also includes customs policy. He will also be the Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, reporting directly to the Commission’s President.
Latvian Valdis Dombrovskis (EPP) will also have two roles: Commissioner for Economy and Productivity and Commissioner for Implementation and Simplification. For the second role, he will report directly to von der Leyen.
Dubravka Šuica (EPP) from Croatia will be the Commissioner for the Mediterranean. She will also be responsible for the broader southern neighbourhood. She will work closely with Kaja Kallas – and many other Commissioners – to develop the EU’s interests in the region.
Piotr Serafin (EPP) will be the Budget, Anti-Fraud, and Public Administration Commissioner. He will report directly to the Commission’s president and focus on preparing the next long-term budget.
Portuguese Maria Luís Albuquerque (EPP) will be the Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investment Union.
Hadja Lahbib (ALDE) will be the Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner. This is another new portfolio that will examine resilience, preparedness, and civil protection. She will lead the Commission’s efforts in crisis management and humanitarian aid.
Austria’s Magnus Brunner (EPP) will be the Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner. He will focus on implementing the Pact on Asylum and Migration, strengthening our borders, and developing a new internal security strategy.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EPP) from Greece will be the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. He is responsible for the mobility of goods and people.
Foreign policy and EU security
Andrius Kubilius (EPP) will be the Commissioner for Defence and Space. He will work on developing the European Defence Union and boosting the EU investment and industrial capacity in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Marta Kos (Renew) will be Commissioner for Enlargement and responsible for the Eastern neighbourhood. She will work on supporting Ukraine, continuing the work on reconstruction, and supporting candidate countries to prepare them for accession. However, it should be noted that the government of Slovenia has suggested that Marta Kos be a member of the college. The nomination procedure involving the national Parliament’s consultation for a non-binding opinion is ongoing. She
The Czech Jozef Síkela will be the Commissioner for International Partnerships. He will lead the work on Global Gateway – and ensure the development of mutually beneficial partnerships which invest in a common future.
“The key message is that wherever we come from, whatever our job title: we must all work together. We will have open debates. We will all be independent in thought and action. And we will all take ownership of what is agreed. This is the team that I am putting forward today”, said von der Leyen.
European Parliament lawmakers will quiz all candidates. They must approve their nominations and will attempt to extract various commitments from the nominees at hearings expected in the coming weeks.
