The European Parliament will not set a formal timetable for the preparation and holding of hearings of the remaining Commissioners-designate until the European Commission has formally notified its President, David Sassoli, of the identities of the candidates and the portfolios allocated to them.
This timetable could be quickly clarified, since on Monday 4 November Ludovic Orban's centrist government won a vote of confidence in the Romanian Parliament. The motion of the Romanian deputies was approved by 240 elected representatives, seven votes above the required 233.
Mr Orban promised to appoint a Romanian candidate for the post of European Commissioner as soon as possible after his government's inauguration, in agreement with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
The President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is working on the goal of "taking office on 1 December", Éric Mamer, Chief Spokesperson of the von der Leyen’ Commission, had earlier stated. "Let us wait for the Romanian authorities to present us with a candidate who is acceptable to the President-elect" and who is able to obtain a majority in the European Parliament, he added.
The Commission therefore seems to be waiting to know who the Romanian candidate will be before finalising the allocation of the portfolio to the Hungarian and Romanian Commissioners-designate and formally forwarding its decision to the Parliament.
The Internal Market portfolio has been assigned to the French candidate, Thierry Breton (see EUROPE 12356/2), but uncertainty remains regarding the 'Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy' and 'Transport' portfolios.
According to Mr Mamer: "The allocation of portfolios depends on the personalities presented. This is not over". The final decision rests with Mrs von der Leyen. Once this step has been completed, it will first be up to the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee to screen each candidate's declaration of financial interests. The dates of 6 and 7 November had been put forward, but this screening is expected to take place at a later date. The Commissioners-designate will then be heard by the relevant parliamentary committees before a vote in plenary session on the whole 'von der Leyen' team, possibly at the end of November.
As for the possibility of a Commissioner being appointed by the United Kingdom, everything will depend on the Brexit timetable and when the 'von der Leyen' Commission will take office. If the British remain members of the EU after the transfer of power between Mr Juncker and Mrs von der Leyen, they will have to appoint a Commissioner, as they committed to do at the time of the Twenty-Seven decision extending the Brexit deadline to the end of January 2020 (see EUROPE 12359/4). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)