European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen still hopes to present her new College of Commissioners in Strasbourg as planned, despite significant setbacks. According to her spokesperson, Arianna Podestà, von der Leyen is pushing to announce the team on Tuesday, although political challenges persist.
The first major issue arose when Slovenia’s parliament refused to schedule a confirmation hearing for its nominee, Marta Kos. This delay stems from internal political disputes between Prime Minister Robert Golob’s government and the opposition. The situation in Slovenia caused doubts about whether von der Leyen could meet her self-imposed deadline for presenting the full executive team.
The situation worsened on Monday when Thierry Breton unexpectedly resigned from the Commission, criticizing von der Leyen for allegedly going behind his back to replace him. Breton’s resignation sparked further uncertainty about the timetable. However, France quickly nominated Stéphane Séjourné as a replacement for Breton, slightly improving the situation.
“We are in the same situation as Friday,” Podestà said during a press briefing, referring to the unresolved issues in Slovenia. “The president hopes to be in a position to announce the College tomorrow, but 24 hours in politics is a long time.” The timeline remains fluid, and von der Leyen is waiting for final confirmations.
European Parliament members are also eagerly awaiting von der Leyen’s announcement. The Commission President traveled to Strasbourg on Monday and is set to meet the leaders of Parliament’s political groups behind closed doors on Tuesday morning. A press conference may follow.
EU lawmakers earlier this year amended Parliament’s internal rules, requiring the Commission president to brief them on her plans before starting the official confirmation hearings for commissioner candidates. However, it remains unclear whether von der Leyen will comply with these new rules, especially given Slovenia’s lack of formal backing for Kos.
Martin Hojsík, Vice President of the European Parliament and a member of the liberal Renew Europe group, told POLITICO he expects von der Leyen to “announce something” on Tuesday. Still, he added that “anything is a wild guess given the French last-minute swap.” His best assumption is that she will present the College minus Slovenia’s candidate.
Hojsík said lawmakers are prepared to start confirmation hearings as soon as they receive the final list of commissioner candidates, and there is a general sense of calm ahead of von der Leyen’s announcement.
Sandro Gozi, a fellow Renew Europe MEP, shared Hojsík’s optimism, stating he believes von der Leyen will indeed present the College on Tuesday. However, there are still lingering doubts.
Bernd Lange, a German Social Democrat lawmaker, expressed frustration with the process, describing the situation as “absurd theater” on social media, following Breton’s resignation. His comments reflect a broader sentiment of unease regarding the ongoing delays and internal disputes.
The European Commission has refrained from commenting on Breton’s specific allegations against von der Leyen, particularly his claims of “questionable governance.” When asked about Breton’s resignation and his criticisms, Podestà declined to elaborate, stating, “We are not going to comment on the remarks included in the letter.”
Despite the confusion and internal tensions, von der Leyen remains determined to push forward. On Friday, she urged the European Parliament to speed up its commissioner hearings and bring them forward to October. Originally, the hearings were scheduled for later, but von der Leyen hopes to start the new Commission’s work on November 1.
However, there is growing skepticism that the new Commission will be able to begin by then. Many insiders believe the complex parliamentary schedule and lengthy confirmation hearings could delay the process until December. With so many variables still undecided, the final timetable remains highly uncertain, and much depends on how quickly the remaining political issues can be resolved.
Via Politico
