Ursula von der Leyen has been comfortably re-elected as President of the European Commission, allowing her to handpick a Commission that aligns with her vision. With a weakened French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, von der Leyen has successfully asserted her authority within the European Union. Her new lineup prominently features her political family, the conservatives, who emerged victorious in the June 9 European elections, securing 11 out of 26 commissioner positions. Notably, she has sidelined established figures in favor of fresh profiles, all of whom must be approved by the European Parliament.
The new Commission’s composition and ministerial assignments reflect a delicate balancing act. While member states nominate their candidates for commissioner positions, von der Leyen has the prerogative to designate the portfolios. She has leveraged this power to her advantage.
In a significant move toward gender equality, the new Commission will consist of 40% women, with four of them holding the position of vice-president. To alleviate tensions with Macron, von der Leyen has granted France a slightly expanded role by assigning the Single Market and Industry portfolios to new candidate Stéphane Séjourné, the current Vice-President.
To secure support from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, von der Leyen has appointed Raffaele Fitto, from the far-right, to a vice-presidency focused solely on Cohesion Policy, aiming to mitigate opposition from socialist parliamentarians. However, the redefined portfolios and redistribution of responsibilities may lead to territorial conflicts, reflecting the strategy of “divide and conquer.”
The newly appointed commissioners will face their first challenge on November 12 when they are auditioned by the Parliament. If approved, the new Commission is set to officially take office on December 1.
This article is originally published on challenges.fr
