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EU Commission: Ursula von der Leyen fails at the goal of gender parity

2019-10-25T18:28:41.332Z


11 women, 16 men: Ursula von der Leyen will clearly miss the goal of gender parity in the European Commission. That could also be due to a return coach of the French President Macron.



It was one of the top priorities of the future President of the European Commission: Half of her team would consist of men and women, said Ursula von der Leyen. But the CDU politician must now say goodbye: The two rejected by the European Parliament candidates - the French Sylvie Goulard and the Romanian Rovana Plumb - should be replaced by men.

In Romania, everything now boils down to nominating MEP Siegfried Muresan as the new Transport Commissioner, as SPIEGEL learned from circles belonging to the Christian Democratic party family, the EPP. Muresan belongs to the National Liberal Party (PNL), which, like the German Union parties, belongs to the EPP.

Although the nomination is not yet official, as Romania has not had a new cabinet since the overthrow of the Social Democrat-led government at the beginning of October. However, PNL leader Ludovic Orban, who is responsible for forming the government, wants to introduce his new ministers to Parliament on Tuesday and have them vote on Wednesday as a whole. If he is confirmed as head of government, Muresan is set as EU Commissioner, as it is called from Bucharest.

Romania would be the second country to replace a Commission candidate rejected by the European Parliament with a man. Previously, France had already appointed former Treasury Secretary Thierry Breton as the new Internal Market Commissioner after Sylvie Goulard was unexpectedly rejected by the European Parliament.

There is no uprising in the EU Parliament

Goulard's defeat was a first major setback for von der Leyen. The second was that their new commission, unable to complete their work as planned on 31 October, by refusing to accept a total of three candidates - besides Goulard and Plumb, the Hungarian László Trócsányi also failed. The third is that of the Leyens team now probably only 11 women, but 16 men will belong. This is far from the promised gender parity.

The question now is how the European Parliament will behave, which has to confirm the new Commission in its entirety. In any case, this will not fail because of the haggard female quota. "That would be explainable to anyone," says Jens Geier, head of the German Social Democrats in the European Parliament. Similarly, the CDU MEP Andreas Schwab said: "I do not think that the EPP would reject the Commission because of this."

The Greens are more skeptical. "If half the population consists of women, then that should also be so in political leadership positions," says Ska Keller, co-faction leader of the Greens in the European Parliament. The now missing gender parity will certainly play a role in the voting decision of their group. In addition, Keller finds it "already very remarkable" that in a country like France no suitable for the EU Commission woman should be found.

Did Macron return the favor from the Leyen?

In fact, there are indications that Breton's nomination is also a return coach from Emmanuel Macron to von der Leyen. The French president has publicly blamed her for the rejection of Goulard by the parliament - and even claimed that Goulard had sent Leyen against his advice in the race. Quite a few in Brussels suspect that Macron now reciprocates the embarrassment by nominating a man.

Not only does Macron ignore Leyens' request that every EU country should propose a man and a woman. He also gives Rumania and Hungary an argument to propose only men as well. "France has put the competence of the candidate on his gender," it says from Bucharest. "Romania will do exactly the same." Hungary has already presented and nominated a man with the former Brussels ambassador Olivér Várhelyi.

Another hurdle besides the gender question could be the party proportional. The post of Transport Commissioner was promised to the Social Democrats - but before the Romanian government collapsed. If the EPP were to get the job now, they would not be pleased with the Social Democrats.

But even that must be accepted, Orbán on Wednesday would actually be Romania's new head of government, it is said from the Social Democratic faction leadership. Especially since Muresan in the European Parliament is not just considered a conservative hardliner, but rather as a down-to-earth representative with the charm of a student spokesman, with whom can work well together. It is more important that the new commission is in office as soon as possible and that work can begin, according to the Social Democrats. And also of the Leyen should be glad, if they finally had a Romanian candidate and would not wait any longer for a proposal of the hopelessly fractious parties in Bucharest.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2019-10-25

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