Von der Leyen unveils new EU Commission amid controversies

BRUSSELS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed the long-awaited lineup for the new European Commission in France’s Strasbourg on Tuesday, after weeks of negotiations with member states over candidates and their portfolios.
“Together, we have defined core priorities. They are built around prosperity, security, democracy,” von der Leyen said at a news conference, adding, “The entire college is committed to competitiveness!”
Among the 27 posts in the proposed college, 40 percent being held by women, are six executive vice-presidents, of which four are female.
The executive vice-presidents include Teresa Ribera of Spain, Henna Virkkunen of Finland, Raffaele Fitto of Italy, Roxana Minzatu of Romania, Stephane Sejourne of France and Kaja Kallas of Estonia.
Stephane Sejourne was appointed as the executive vice president overseeing industrial strategy after Thierry Breton, who was France’s initial nominee for the new European Commission, resigned on Monday.
Breton’s departure followed several public disputes with von der Leyen.
Last week, Slovenia also put forward a new candidate for the European Commission after its initial nominee, Tomaz Vesel, withdrew. Vesel cited disagreements with von der Leyen’s vision for how the Commission should operate.
The proposed commissioners will face tough scrutiny in the coming weeks as EU lawmakers must approve each nomination. The nominees need a two-thirds majority in the relevant European Parliament committees to move forward.
Some appointments are already facing resistance.
French member of the European Parliament Valerie Hayer, leader of the EU Liberals, said, “We have already warned of this political decision by Ursula von der Leyen. She has confirmed it. We take note of that.” ■