Von der Leyen said that without her efforts, the next 'college' of European Commissioners would have been dominated by men.
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00:00Urtula von der Leyen has voiced exasperation after EU governments undermined her efforts
00:06to strike a gender balance in her team of European commissioners.
00:11In a letter to EU governments, the Commission President had asked for two candidates, one
00:15male and one female, for each of the influential roles.
00:19Only one member state, Bulgaria, heeded that request.
00:23The other countries predominantly nominated men.
00:26I have, throughout my whole political life, been fighting for women having access to decision-making
00:33position and leading position.
00:36And my experience is that if you don't ask for it, you don't get it.
00:44It does not come naturally.
00:47And this is why I sent my letter.
00:50Because if I would not have sent this letter, there would not have been a hook also to look
00:55at the diversity topic.
00:57Estonia's Kaja Kalas was nominated to be the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs
01:02by EU leaders back in June.
01:05Of the remaining 25 places up for grabs in von der Leyen's team of commissioners, just
01:10eight women are currently in the running.
01:13Von der Leyen says that without her efforts in pressuring member states to put forth women,
01:18the roster of candidates would have been even more dominated by men.
01:24If I would not have sent this letter, what would have been the fact or the case?
01:29The initial proposals, if you look at the names you all know, besides the High Representative
01:37and me, the President, for the 25 member states that then nominate, would have been four women
01:45and 21 men.
01:47So without that letter and without that discussion, this would be the next college.
01:53And therefore, it is absolutely worth it.
01:56Von der Leyen is currently interviewing candidates and is expected to hand out policy portfolios
02:02by mid-September.
02:04The candidates must then undergo questioning by members of the European Parliament and
02:07survive a confirmation vote before they can take up their positions.
02:12Unless the Commission Chief can further rectify the gender imbalance, she could be leading
02:17one of the EU Executive's most male-dominated team of commissioners in a decade.