New EU Commission readies for pivotal term

European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen looks set to push through her new team of commissioners and executive vice-presidents this week, following a contentious process that has exposed political divides in the European Parliament (EP).

EC executive vice-presidents and commissioner-designates were selected after weeks of disputes between the EP’s “pro-EU” party groups; the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and liberal Renew Europe, on Wednesday, 20 November.

The EP wrote on Facebook: “Good news: the EP has approved the new EC led by Ursula von der Leyen. Great news: female representation in the EC will be the highest it has ever been.”

The deal, which included the “Platform Cooperation Statement” – described by Brussels inside sources as a “coalition agreement” – greenlit 6 designated vice presidents and 3 particularly controversial commissioner-designates of the 27 EU member’s candidates, including Hungary’s Oliver Varhelyi.

The agreement sets out nine policy priorities for the EC’s upcoming five-year tenure, the first being “the rule of law, a pro-Ukraine stand, and a pro-European approach”. Other stated EC goals are sustainable growth, the digital transition, migration and defence policy, food security, and strengthening the EU’s global leadership, aligning with von der Leyen’s comments on her re-election in July.

The new EC is expected to follow a more right-leaning agenda. EPP head Manfred Weber said he has promised voters “a Europe without bureaucracy and I will deliver: and if I do not deliver, then we will wake up in 2029 in an extremely populistic Europe.”

Commissioner-designates under fire throughout selection process

As well as Varhelyi, the other key bones of contention were the appointments of Spain’s candidate for EU commissioner Teresa Ribera and Italian commissioner-designate Raffaele Fitto.

Ribera faced criticism for her handling of the recent flood in Valencia, east Spain, with the EPP demanding her resignation if she were charged by Spain’s judiciary; an ultimatum she rejected.

In retaliation, the Socialists and Democrats voiced objections to Fitto’s nomination as executive vice-president for cohesion and reforms, citing his ties to the far-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. Both candidates were eventually approved, however, although the S&D attached a declaration against Fitto’s appointment to his evaluation letter.

Sidelined from the deal were the Greens, who fared poorly in the June EU election, as the far-right Patriots for Europe and ECR made gains.

Varhelyi meanwhile has had sexual and reproductive health oversight removed from his health and animal welfare portfolio, due to concerns over the right-wing policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The EC now awaits a parliamentary vote in Strasbourg on Wednesday, November 27, when approval is expected from the EPP, S&D and Renew, and would begin its term immediately.

Protests from left, right

Support may not be forthcoming from green politicians, however. Green MEP Daniel Freund accused the S&D of “breaking a core campaign promise (by) siding with the far right to support commissioner candidates from Hungary and Italy”.

The Left group in the EP also denounced the agreement as a “backroom deal” that breached official procedures, as evaluations of commissioners-designate should be completed immediately after hearings and the vice-presidents were in fact approved as part of a “package deal”, delaying individual assessments.

The new nationalist grouping Patriots for Europe group expressed dissatisfaction too: Spanish MEP Hermann Tertsch told local media “This is not a new majority; this is the old majority. This alliance between EPP and S&D is unbearable and will ruin Europe.”

Despite protests from both ends of the political spectrum, the coalition agreement could see von der Leyen’s second EC take office for another five-year term from next week.

Commissioners ready to start new tenure

The expected incoming European commissioners are: Maros Sefcovic, Trade and economic security, interinstitutional relations and transparency, Glenn Micallef, Intergenerational fairness, youth culture and sport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Sustainable transport and tourism, Christophe Hansen, Agriculture and Food, Michael McGrath, Democracy, justice and the rule of law, Ekaterina Zaharaieva, Startups, research and innovation, Dan Jorgeson, Energy and housing, Dubravka Suica, Mediterranean, Jessika Roswell, Environment, water, resilience and a competitive circular economy, Magnus Brunner, Internal affairs and migration, Hadja Lahbib, Preparedness and crisis management equality, Maria Luis Albuquerque, Financial services and the savings and investment union, Costas Kadis, Fisheries and Oceans, Jozef Sikela, international partnerships, Andrius Kubilius, Defence and space, Oliver Varhelyi, Health and animal welfare, Wopeka Hoekstra, Climate, net-zero and clean growth, Marta Kos, Enlargement, Piotr Serafin, Budget, anti-fraud and public administration, Valdis Dombrovskis, Exconomy and productivity, implementation and simplification, Raffaele Fitto, Executive vice president, Cohesion and reforms; Roxana Minzatu, Executive vice president People, skills and preparedness, Teresa Ribera, Executive vice president, Clean, just and competitive transition, Kaja Kallas, High representative/vice president Foreign affairs and security policy, Stephane Sejourne, Executive vice president Prosperity and industrial strategy and Henna Virkkunen, Executive vice president Tech sovereignty, security and democracy.