After weeks of negotiations, postponements and controversies culminating in the Resignation of French Commissioner Thierry Breton, Ursula von der Leyen announces the new European Commission: a list of 26 names, “a team of competent and motivated women and men, ready to work together. For a stronger Union. For a safer Europe. For a more competitive Europe”, said the president, in Strasbourg, opening the press conference in which she revealed her proposal for the new EU Commission. The nominations will have to be approved by the European Parliament, after the usual hearings.
The President, re-elected in June as President of the EU executive, then listed the names of the Commissioners, both male and female. There are six executive vice presidents, including Raffaele Fitto.
EU Commission: Executive Vice-Presidencies, Cohesion and Reforms
The new European Commission will have six executive vice-presidents, with five new portfolios: Defense, Mediterranean, Trade and Economic Security. Despite criticism from the Greens, Liberals and Socialists, there is also the Italian Raffaele Fitto who will be responsible for Cohesion and Reforms.
“Raffaele Fitto will be responsible for cohesion policy, regional development and cities. He will bring his great experience to modernise and strengthen cohesion investments and growth policies,” added von der Leyen. “Italy is a very important country and this must also be reflected in the choice. The EP has 14 vice-presidents, two of which are from ECR. I have drawn the consequences. for the composition of the Commission,” added von der Leyen, who, on the reactions of the other groups, replied: “You have to ask them”.
For the other five vice presidents, here are their names and delegations:
- Teresa Ribera (Spain): Vice-President and Commissioner for Just Transition and Competition Competition;
- Stéphane Stayed (France): Vice-President and Commissioner for Industrial Strategy;
- Kaja kallas (Estonia): Vice-President High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;
- Henna Virkkunen (Finland): Vice-President and Commissioner for Security and Technological Sovereignty;
- Roxana Minzatu (Romania): Vice-President and Commissioner for Talents and Skills.
While the vice-presidencies of Ribera, Séjourné (instead of Breton) and Fitto were expected, the ones that surprised everyone were the appointments of Finnish Henna Virkkunen, who will lead the EU digitalisation, and Romanian Roxana Minzatu, responsible for talents and skills. “I will ask Henna to consider the internal and external aspects of security,” said the president, “But also to strengthen the foundations of our democracy, such as the rule of law, and protect it wherever it is attacked,” stressed von der Leyen, while on Ribera she explained: “she will be executive vice-president for a clean, fair and competitive transition. She will also be responsible for competition policy. She will lead the work to ensure that Europe remains on track to achieve the objectives set in the European Green Deal”.
On Séjourné he added: “She will also be responsible for the industry, SME and single market portfolio. She will lead the work to create the conditions “for our companies to thrive: from investment and innovation to economic stability, trade and economic security”.
The commissioners, both male and female,
The six vice-presidents will be joined by 20 other commissioners. The new European Commission will be composed of eleven women, equal to 40% of the entire team. Initial proposals from member states included a 22% share of women. “This was completely unacceptable,” von der Leyen stressed, acknowledging that, despite progress, there was “still a lot of work to do.”
- Magnus Bruner (Austria) – Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration
- Hadja Lahbib (Belgium) – Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management
- Ekaterina Zaharieva (Bulgaria) – Commissioner for Innovation and Start-ups
- Dubravka Šuica (Croatia) – Commissioner for the Mediterranean
- Costas Kadis (Cyprus) – Fisheries Commissioner
- Jozef Sikela (Czech Republic) – Commissioner for International Cooperation
- Dan Jorgensen (Denmark) – Commissioner for Energy and Housing
- Tzitzikostas Apostles (Greece) – Commissioner for Tourism
- Oliver Varhelyic (Hungary) – Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare
- Michael McGrath (Ireland) – Commissioner for Justice
- Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia) – Commissioner for Economy and Simplification
- Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania) – Commissioner for Defence and Space
- Christopher Hansen (Luxembourg) – Commissioner for Agriculture
- Glenn Micallef (Malta) – Commissioner for Culture, Sport and Intergenerational Justice
- Wopke Hoekstra (Netherlands) – Climate Commissioner
- Peter Serafin (Poland) – Commissioner for Budget and Public Administration
- Maria Luis Albuquerque (Portugal) – Commissioner for Financial Services
- Maroš Šefčovič (Slovakia) – Commissioner for Trade
- Marta Kos (Slovenia) – Commissioner for Enlargement Process and Reconstruction of Ukraine
- Jessika Roswall (Sweden) – Commissioner for the Environment
“The entire college is committed to the competitiveness, decarbonisation and digitalisation“, said von der Leyen, presenting her new team of commissioners in Strasbourg, indicating her willingness to follow “the Draghi report recommendations” for a Europe that is “more fluid, more interconnected, more coordinated” in its “different policies”.
“For all member states, it is a very intense period for negotiations. None of us has a complete overview. There are many wishes that have been expressed, about twenty countries had a strong economic portfolio but there are not twenty countries” on this dossier. “It is not easy to put together the team, you also have to take into account the geographical and political balances,” added von der Leyen.
The reactions
“Congratulations to Raffaele Fitto for his appointment as Executive Vice President of the European Commission with responsibility for Cohesion and Reforms,” said the Prime Minister. Giorgia Meloni on social media -. An important recognition that confirms the newfound central role of our Nation in the EU. Italy is finally back as a protagonist in Europe”. “Good luck Raffaele – he adds -, we are sure that you will carry out your task very well in the interest of Europe and Italy”.
"The appointment of Raffaele Fitto as executive vice-president of the EU Commission is excellent news that confirms the credibility and the important role that Italy plays and will continue to play in Europe! A success for the government. Congratulations Raffaele!", wrote the deputy prime minister and foreign minister on X Antonio Tajani.
