Brussels, 03/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - The future Juncker Commission is slowing moving towards the commitments of its future president in terms of the representation of women; on Wednesday 3 September Poland nominated its deputy prime minister, Elzbieta Bienkowska - who could go on to obtain the regional policy or internal market portfolio, according to Polish media.
Bienkowska's nomination brings the number of women to seven who have been nominated by the member states to be part of the future Juncker Commission. Corina Cretu from Romania would bring this number to eight if she was retained but the current European commissioner for agriculture, Dacian Ciolos, is maybe still in with a chance, as Juncker's spokesperson has said that on 4 September Juncker would hear a male candidate from Romania (and not a female one). During a press conference, Ciolos nevertheless refused to say whether he was going to meet Juncker. When questioned, Cretu told EUROPE on Wednesday that she also had a meeting with Juncker…
Belgium is trailing behind but, all being well, is due to make its candidate known on Thursday 4 September. According to the latest tendencies and internal political discussions, it is Didier Reynders in the end (Belgium's current foreign affairs minister) who would reportedly be at the helm.
If this is the case, the college of commissioners would only comprise seven women and this would pose a problem for being passed by the European Parliament as many political families have already said that they would not accept a Commission composed of a number of women below that of the current Barroso II Commission - which comprises nine women.
Juncker started hearing the nominated candidates on Tuesday 2 September, and is due to continue his hearings on Thursday 4 September. Up to now, he has heard Frans Timmermans from the Netherlands who, according to rumours, could be entrusted with a portfolio linked to institutional affairs - a domain in which he is already well-known because, as the Dutch minister for foreign affairs, he has called in a manifesto for the EU to be reformed (see EUROPE 10966). Timmermans' position on this makes him an ally of the UK. Juncker has also held meetings with Kristalina Georgieva from Bulgaria, Günther Oettinger from Germany, Andrus Ansip from Estonia, Valdis Dombrovskis from Latvia, Jyrki Katainen from Finland and Cecilia Malmström from Sweden. Federica Mogherini from Italy was heard during the extraordinary European Council on Saturday 30 August - which appointed her to the position of high representative of the EU for foreign affairs, and she will thus succeed Catherine Ashton from the UK. (SP)