With the start of the new political year, the newly elected President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is configuring the next College of Commissioners. In this second term at the head of the Community Executive, the German will include for the first time in the history of the EU the figure of a defense commissioner in this legislative cycle as part of the response that the war in Ukraine has demanded from the EU.
“On defence, the fact that he is going to appoint a full-fledged defence commissioner is a testament to the importance of this issue. But, Of course, other commissioners will be involved in the defence sector,” said the head of the Community Executive yesterday at a press conference.
The names that the head of the European Commission will select to compose her team will be known this week. German politics will meet this Tuesday at the European Parliament with the Conference of Presidents at the door closed to discuss the structure and composition of the future college of commissioners.
The figure of a Defence Commissioner has a lot to do with the geopolitical context: the war in Ukraine on Europe’s doorstep forced the bloc to react and strengthen its defence industrial capacity. Even if the figure did not exist to date for a Commissioner as such, the The Community executive has a General Directorate of Defense and Space whichsince 2019, falls under the Internal Market portfolio previously headed by Frenchman Thierry Breton.
The figure of the defence commissioner will mainly have a diplomatic role. Her role will be to attend meetings and will be complemented by the figure of the EU High Representative, head of community diplomacy, which will be exercised by the former Latvian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas. Another new role that Von der Leyen will support in the next College of Commissioners is that of Commissioner for Housing. A tax that did not exist until now and which appears at a time of strong pressure on prices in this sector throughout the EU.
