After members of the European Parliament on Thursday rejected Ursula von der Leyen’s French nominee for the new Commission, casting doubt on her ability to take office as scheduled on November 1, von der Leyen said the EU must “speed up the process.”
The next European Commission, to be led by Ursula von der Leyen, will almost certainly not be able to take office as scheduled at the start of next month, after the European Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected Sylvie Goulard, the French nominee to be commissioner responsible for the EU’s internal market, industrial policy and defense.
Compounding von der Leyen’s problems, Romania’s government collapsed, making it unclear when Bucharest would be able to replace its Commission nominee, Rovana Plumb, who has also been rejected by the Parliament.
Sylvie Goulard
The rejection of Goulard, herself a former member of the European Parliament, was a stunning and embarrassing blow for French President Emmanuel Macron, who put her forward despite clear vulnerabilities, including investigations in Brussels and Paris over alleged financial misconduct.
In a statement issued after the vote, von der Leyen called for new haste while also insisting that “all involved in the process need sufficient time to approach the next steps with care.”
Von der Leyen offered no clarity about when replacement nominees would be put forward. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday criticized MEPs for rejecting Goulard and said he was not prepared to name a replacement. Meanwhile, Romania’s government collapsed, leaving it unclear when Bucharest would be able to send forward a new name.
