Following an interview on Monday 28 October (see EUROPE 12357/9), the President-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, approved the candidature of the two new candidates for Commissioners from France and Hungary, Thierry Breton and Olivér Várhelyi respectively.
"What I can confirm, on behalf of the transition team, is that yesterday, Ursula von der Leyen interviewed the two candidates for the position of Commissioner of Hungary and France and that she confirmed the skills and competences of these candidates to act as Commissioners", said outgoing Commission spokesperson Mina Andreeva on Tuesday 29 October, referring to Article 17(3) of the Treaty on European Union defining the Commissioners' mandate. " And (Mrs von der Leyen) informed the Council accordingly".
Mina Andreeva also confirmed that the portfolio for the French Commissioner candidate would remain unchanged. As such, Mr Breton made "ambitious offers to avoid potential conflicts of interest", the Commission spokesperson said. According toAgence France Presse, the Frenchman would have committed to selling all of his shares (the equivalent of 34 million euros), including those of the Atos Group, of which he is CEO, if his appointment is confirmed by the European Parliament.
Ms Andreeva added that the President-elect had sent a letter to the Romanian government asking it to present a new candidate as soon as possible. In response, the outgoing Prime Minister, Social Democrat Viorica Dăncilă, announced on Tuesday that she would nominate Victor Negrescu, former Minister for European Affairs. This approach was immediately described as "irresponsible" by centre-right president Klaus Iohannis, who urged her to stop all action. Liberal Ludovic Orban announced that he would appoint the future Romanian Commissioner candidate as soon as his government was in place, perhaps on Monday 4 November after a vote of approval for the national parliament. Regarding the extension of the Romanian and Hungarian portfolios, the Commission spokesperson seemed to say that she could still make changes.
Hungarian and French candidates could be heard by the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee on 6 or 7 November, although the date is still to be confirmed. The French candidate, although debated on the left in the European Parliament, creates more consensus than Ms Goulard's candidacy in the ranks of the EPP (see EUROPE 12358/2). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)