Von der Leyen warns: Britain should nominate by the end of the week EU Commissioner

United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum

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So far, the British government has not responded to the call of EU Commission President-designate Ursula von der Leyen to nominate a British commissioner. Therefore, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will again receive mail from Brussels. Von der Leyen has sent another letter to London expecting an answer "very soon before the end of the week," said a Commission spokeswoman.

From the Leyen, Great Britain has once again "reminded of its obligation to appoint a commissioner," the spokeswoman said. "Time is running out."

The United Kingdom had deliberately renounced the nomination of a Commissioner in view of the planned EU exit on 31 October. Because the deadline has been extended until the end of January and the new EU Commission is due to start work at the beginning of December, Leyen has already twice requested a nomination.

From the Leyen the time is running out

British Prime Minister Johnson, meanwhile, has meanwhile scheduled new elections for December and apparently wants to avoid, by the appointment of a commissioner doubts about his desire to quit.

The entry into office of the new EU Commission was originally scheduled for 1 November. But he had to be postponed for a month because three candidates from France, Romania and Hungary had failed in the review in the European Parliament. Even a British commissioner candidate would still have to go through parliamentary polls. The EU is already debating whether Leyens new commission could possibly start without a British commissioner.

After all, the three substitute candidates from France, Hungary and Romania took the first hurdle in the European Parliament on Tuesday. The Legal Affairs Committee has certified that Thierry Breton, Oliver Varhelyi and Adina Valean have no financial conflicts of interest. This allows the interviews in the specialized committees to begin.

However, the result was extremely close to the Frenchman Breton, who is to take over the area of ​​domestic market and industrial policy. His former employer Atos is active in many areas, for which he will in future be responsible as Commissioner.