• 4 months ago
All governments must announce their nominees for the European Commission by August 30.
Transcript
00:00Chairs waiting to be occupied by the new European Union commissioners, but who will deal with
00:05portfolios that have an economic impact, the most coveted by the 27 member states?
00:12Friday is the final day for governments to announce their nominees.
00:16Analysts say the budget portfolio is undoubtedly the top prize in negotiations, as Ursula von
00:21der Leyen forms her second executive.
00:24We have the multi-annual financial framework which needs to be negotiated in the next term.
00:29This will be a very difficult and very heavy dossier, but it will also be something which
00:35will be very determining also the priorities of the years to come.
00:43France is expected to maintain a strong portfolio, with Thierry Breton currently on internal
00:49market likely to be nominated for a second term as a commissioner.
00:55There is always a great interest in also competition and trade, so those portfolios
01:01where the EU has a lot of competence, right?
01:05Or where the budget is particularly high, for instance cohesion and agriculture, you
01:11know, which both make up about a third of the whole EU budget.
01:17In the power plays, von der Leyen can also use defense, a new portfolio dedicated to
01:22the military industry, seen as highly relevant due to the war in Ukraine.
01:27Relations with the Mediterranean, linked to migration management and housing, are also
01:32sectors that will now have dedicated commissioners.
01:35Von der Leyen will also have to take into account which political parties support her
01:39when she designates her executive vice presidents.
01:43So one can assume that again now, given that she is from the EPP, from the conservative
01:48party, that you will have a socialist, a liberal, and also potentially a green among
01:54the top positions in the commission.
01:58Another trump card is to secure the participation of more women.
02:02The president is struggling to achieve gender balance, with fewer than 10 women officially
02:06appointed so far.
02:08She will have to work with these governments in the next five years, right?
02:11So it is a bit of a tightrope that she has to walk between putting her foot down and
02:16getting, for instance, the gender balance right, but at the same time, you know, keeping
02:21good working relationships with those governments.
02:24But before the 26 commissioners take their seats for college meetings in the Jean Monnet
02:29room, they'll first have to be approved by the European Parliament, which will arrange
02:33lengthy hearings of the candidates.

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