The distribution of seats in the next European Commission is clarified, a balance of geographical, political and gender presentation that has given a relevant position to Spain. The new mandate with Ursula von der Leyen at the head of the Community Executive is structured around six executive vice-presidencies and one of them has been entrusted to the third vice-president, Teresa Ribera. The German conceded another important seat for FranceForeign Minister Stéphane Séjourné will be Vice-President for Industrial Competitiveness and Italian Raffaele Fitto will be Vice-President for Cohesion Policy.
A key point in the distribution of positions has been gender equality. An effort for which Germany has insisted that countries present candidates until they manage to add a European Commission composed of 11 women. The result is a 40% women versus 60% menVon der Leyen tried to strike a balance by giving more senior positions to the former, despite the fact that in 2019 there was an attempt to achieve a 50-50% representation.
If there is another factor that characterises the new composition of the Community Executive, it is the interrelation of responsibilities that has given rise to a kind of jumble of interdependent positions and powers. For example, the tasks of Ribera and the Dutchman Wopke Hoekstra, as Climate Commissioner, are destined to overlap. “With this new College of Commissioners, the rigid pillars that we had have been dispelled. This was one of the recommendations of the Draghi report: more coordination in the different policies”, justified a conservative policy.
In the distribution of executive vice-presidencies, Ribera won the Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition portfolio and the Competition portfolio. The latter is one of the most important positions in the Community executive, with greater independence from the presidency. “He will be responsible for competition policy and will ensure that Europe continues to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal: industrialize and decarbonize the economy at the same time“, explained the conservative policy during its presentation to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The new French Minister Stéphane Séjourné, following the resignation on Monday of the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, will become Executive Vice-President at the head of Prosperity and industrial strategy. “He will also be responsible for the Industry, SMEs and Single Market portfolio,” added Von der Leyen, who explained that he will be tasked with creating the conditions for European businesses to thrive in areas such as investment and innovation, economic stability and trade and economic security. France thus obtains one of the most important portfolios in a legislature in which strengthening the EU’s competitiveness will be one of the main objectives.
Italian Minister for European Affairs Raffaele Fitto will be Executive Vice President of Cohesion and reforms. This is a portfolio similar to the one headed so far by the Portuguese Elisa Ferreira, explained Von der Leyen, after being asked about the rumours that gave Italy responsibilities in the economy or the recovery plan.
“Italy is an important country. One of the founding member states and this is reflected in the elections,” said the German, who specified that she had been inspired by the composition of the European Parliament for the distribution of posts.Out of 14 vice-presidencies, the Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group has two”the German stressed.
Another of the vice-presidencies, in this case that of Technological sovereignty, security and democracy went to the Finnish Henna Virkkunen. “I will ask Henna to take care of the internal and external aspects of security. But also to strengthen the foundations of our democracy, such as the rule of law, and to protect it wherever it is under attack,” said Mrs von der Leyen. The head of the Community executive stressed the importance of cutting-edge technology for the security and sovereignty of the EU.
Romanian Roxana Mînzatu will occupy another of the vice-presidencies of the next Community Executive, with powers in the areas of Citizenship, training and preparation. Education, culture, quality employment and social rights are covered by its demographic framework, it will focus on the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The position held so far by the Spaniard Josep Borrell, that of head of European diplomacy, had already been clarified before Von der Leyen’s presentation on Tuesday. She will be the former Estonian prime minister, Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU. “We are in a time of geostrategic rivalries and instability,” the German said. “I know I can count on her to bridge the gap between our domestic and foreign policy. And to ensure that we remain a geopolitical Commission.”
