For the first time, almost half of the EU Commission will be filled with women. Elected President Ursula von der Leyen has now proposed in Brussels a team of 13 women - including the boss herself - and 14 men. Thus, the CDU politician is largely a promise that she had given before her election to the Commission's chief in July. Whether all candidates come through, but is in the hands of the European Parliament.
The EU Commission is a very unique entity, but it roughly resembles a government with distributed ministries. She works with an apparatus of more than 30,000 officials, proposes and enforces European laws. Each of the 27 remaining EU countries is represented by one person - for Germany this is waived by the Leyen, United Kingdom because of Brexit planned for the end of October. The commission is scheduled to start on 1 November.
Von Leyen had promised a committee of men and women, and their list comes close. Almost none of the EU countries had kept their desire to nominate two people to choose from - a man and a woman. In any case, Leyens proposal is a step forward in terms of parity: currently in the Commission only nine women and 19 men.
Reservations against candidates from Hungary, Poland and Romania
Von der Leyen wants to say on Tuesday which tasks she has assigned to each candidate. In the coming weeks, all nominees will be heard in the responsible committees of the European Parliament. Individuals could still be exchanged before the plenary finally votes on the entire staff package.
Reservations among parliamentarians are mainly against the nominees from Hungary, Poland and Romania. Former Justice Minister Laszlo Trocsanyi, who has been nominated for Hungary, is under criticism for supporting a controversial and now stalled judicial reform. Against the Polish candidate Janusz Wojciechowski, the European anti-fraud authority Olaf determined because of possibly wrong travel settlements. Romanian-nominated Rovana Plumb faces charges of abuse of office.
Even against the French candidate Sylvie Goulard in the home still under investigation for allegations of fictitious employment in the European Parliament, they had tasted in 2017, the Office of the French Minister of Defense. The EU Anti-Fraud Authority Olaf also checks the cases according to its own statements. The administration of the European Parliament has meanwhile closed the file.