“This is my team, as diverse and strong as Europe.” After circulating a list of names the day before, the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented on Tuesday 10 September the distribution of posts in the future College. To sit, the nominated candidates will require the approval of the European Parliament, after having answered a series of written and oral questions.
This risky exercise aims to respect a political, geographical and gender balance, with parity almost fulfilled with 13 women to 14 men. As in Jean-Claude Juncker's team and in line with what was decided by the European Council, the von der Leyen Commission will comprise 8 Vice-Presidents, including 3 Executive Vice-Presidents. It will also host a new Directorate-General for the Defence and Space Industry, which will be under the responsibility of Sylvie Goulard (Renew Europe), the French Minister for the Internal Market.
In the move to appoint Ursula von der Leyen, France has therefore obtained the portfolio to which it had aspired.
An exercise in communication
Behind this reorganisation there is a clear desire to bring the European Union closer to the citizen. With its successes and failures.
Ursula von der Leyen, for example, appointed the Croatian Dubravka Šuica (EPP) to the 'Democracy and Demography' portfolio and asked her to lead the Commission's preparations for the Conference on the Future of Europe (see EUROPE 12288/3).
“The loss of confidence in democracy comes from a frustration of being left behind, due to a sense of distance, lack of job opportunities and an aging population”, the future president justified. She also announced that her team would visit “each Member State during the first half of her mandate”, in the capitals and regions, “where Europeans live and work”. To silence criticism of the 'Brussels' bureaucracy, she has committed to withdrawing legislation for any new initiatives that are presented. She also defended her youngest candidate, Lithuanian Virginijus Sinkevičius (Greens/EFA), 28 years old: “He is a very committed young man in politics, very determined, whose reputation is already established.”
But these efforts at rapprochement also have their limits: thus, in her desire to rename the portfolios “as soon as possible”, Ursula von der Leyen proposed that the Greek Margaritis Schinas occupy the position of Vice-President in charge of “Protecting our European way of life”. Among his prerogatives, the former Greek spokesman for the institution will deal with asylum and migration.
In front of journalists, the future President of the European Commission stated that she did not consider asylum seekers as a threat: “It is a succinct title, but it underlies an entire chapter, as reflected in my policy guidelines. This includes our values and the beauty of the dignity of each human being”, she said.
An even more pyramidal organisation of the College
Ms von der Leyen deepened the concept of vice-presidency introduced by the Juncker Commission in 2014, adding an additional hierarchical level.
Three 'super' vice-presidents ('executive vice-presidents') will support her in her task: the Danish liberal Margrethe Vestager, the Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans and the Latvian Christian Democrat Valdis Dombrovskis. However, in the absence of Ms von der Leyen, it will be up to Mr Timmermans to steer the Commission's work.
The attribution of an increased and cross-sectional role to Mr Timmermans and Ms Vestager had been achieved since the decision of the European Council in early July proposing Ms von der Leyen as head of the European Commission (see EUROPE 12287/1).
Former Prime Minister and outgoing Vice-President of the outgoing Commission, Mr Dombrovskis also holds this position. While the surprise effect was real during the von der Leyen team's presentation, an internal source at the European institution said on Tuesday that this idea had been in the air for some time. According to her, Mr Dombrovskis has an excellent reputation and strong experience in the economic and financial field. His appointment also strengthens the geographical balance within the College.
It should be noted that, according to the allocation of services to Commissioners-designate, the 8 Vice-Presidents (3 Executive Vice-Presidents plus 5 Vice-Presidents) will have access to the Commission's Secretariat-General. In addition, the 3 Executive Vice-Presidents will also be supported by sectoral Directorates-General: Climate for Mr Timmermans, Competition for Ms Vestager and Financial Services for Mr Dombrovskis.
Of all the questions to which she replied, the President-elect was the most precise on the question of political balances within the future College. She pointed out in particular that, of the 8 Vice-Presidents, 3 are Christian Democrats (Greek Margaritis Schinas, Croatian Dubravka Šuica and Mr Dombrovskis), 3 are Social Democrats (Spanish Josep Borrell, Slovak Maroš Šefčovič and Mr Timmermans) and 2 are Liberals (Czech Věra Jourová and Ms Vestager).
“It is absolutely the right balance”, said Ms von der Leyen.
Distribution of posts
The von der Leyen Commission is characterised by a particular focus on climate. The Juncker Commission was distinguished by a Vice-President for Energy and a Commissioner for Climate and Energy Action. Under Ms von der Leyen, there will be a Vice-President of the Green deal, a Commissioner of the Environment and Oceans and an Energy Commissioner.
Another important change: the future college includes a vice-presidency for “Values and Transparency”. Designated for this position, the Czech Věra Jourová will be responsible in particular for “improving the system of the top candidate and transnational lists”. The new distribution also links “Cohesion and Reforms”, as shown by the title of the portfolio granted to the Portuguese Elisa Ferreira (S&D). This rapprochement will certainly displease regional and local authorities, since it establishes a link between the reform(s) and the budgetary process of the ‘European Semester’ – which the European Parliament voted against (see EUROPE 12193/2). It is interesting to note that it will contribute, for the Commission, to the development of the fiscal capacity of the euro area.
Ursula von der Leyen also sent a strong signal to the United States by keeping Margrethe Vestager, Donald Trump's bogeyman, as Competition Commissioner and also by granting her a vice-presidency for a Europe adapted to the digital age. “In general, it should be kept in mind that if you launch an ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ policy, it is others who will benefit. It is better, in my opinion, to discuss, to see the points of common interest and then to move forward”, commented Ursula von der Leyen.
It should also be noted that the Hungarian László Trócsányi has been appointed to Enlargement and the Neighbourhood Policy. Asked which countries were likely to join the EU, Ursula von der Leyen did not wish to establish a ranking, stressing that this would depend on how quickly these countries would take over the EU's rules and values. According to her, Ankara is on the path: “On Turkey, I have not seen any progress in recent years, on the contrary. And that is why I say that it is they who must show that they want to become closer to the values, to the rules of the EU.”
Time for hearings in the European Parliament
The hearings of the Commissioners-designate in the European Parliament are expected to take place between Monday 30 September and Tuesday 8 October. The exact timetable and the parliamentary committees involved in each hearing will be decided on Thursday 19 September in Strasbourg by the Conference of Presidents of the political groups. The Parliament vote on the whole von der Leyen Commission is expected to take place on 23 October.
At the beginning of this new institutional cycle, Parliament will be keen to show the muscles by trying to demonstrate that some Commissioners-designate do not have the profile to defend the general European interest or do not have the competences for the portfolio they have been assigned.
Hungary's László Trócsányi is a potential target for his past action as the former Minister of Justice in the government of Viktor Orbán (see EUROPE 12323/1). On an initiative of the liberal group Renew Europe, the pro-European political groups in Parliament refuse to allow MEPs to take up positions of responsibility in parliamentary committees when they come from parties in power at national level that support a government that is subject to an ‘Article 7’ procedure on respect for the rule of law. The deputies from the Fidesz party, which is in power in Hungary, are clearly targeted and Mr Trócsányi could be the subject of such a ‘cordon sanitaire’.
Another potentially problematic portfolio is the Economy, attributed to Mr Gentiloni. This portfolio includes monitoring Member States' compliance with European budgetary rules, as well as the establishment of the InvestEU fund and the European unemployment insurance system and taxation. MEPs, particularly from Northern Europe, concerned about meticulous compliance with the Stability Pact, will certainly want to hear how Mr Gentiloni intends to enforce EU budgetary rules in his own country. As with Pierre Moscovici in 2014, they could, in the end, give him the benefit of the doubt. One of their own, Roberto Gualtieri, who enjoys a good reputation in Brussels for his pro-European convictions, is now Italian Minister of Economy in a ‘Conte II’ government that promises to turn the page on opposition to Europe on principle.
Asked about the ongoing investigations by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) against Sylvie Goulard of France and Janusz Wojciechowski of Poland, Ms von der Leyen recalled OLAF's independence and the “presumption of innocence” enjoyed by the two designated Commissioners concerned. OLAF investigators “will finish their work and we will listen to them”, she promised.
See the following documents:
– the Commissioners-designate and their mission letters: https://bit.ly/2lOqsB7
– upcoming changes in the organisation charts of the Directorates-General: http://bit.ly/2lG3mwP
– new working methods: http://bit.ly/2kC5CF3 (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean and Mathieu Bion, with the editorial staff)