Ursula von der Leyen presented the new college of European commissioners on Tuesday. The current Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib, must, like any future commissioner, still obtain the approval of parliament before taking office.
Here it is, the future European Commission, presented this Tuesday by Ursula von der Leyen after, she said, “long weeks of intense negotiations with the Member States”. Negotiations which will have resulted in a few mini-dramas for certain commissioners hoping to be re-elected, such as the Belgian Didier Reyndersformer justice commissioner, ousted in favor of Hadja Lahbib, who instead takes over the portfolio of crisis management and equality. “new portfolio focused on resilience”“civil protection”, “humanitarian aid” but also “equality issues”, dear to the liberal.
More recently, these stormy negotiations led, this Monday, to the resounding ouster of the Frenchman Thierry Bretoncommissioner in charge of the internal market, in favor of Stéphane Séjourné, a close friend of Emmanuel Macron, who was promoted to vice-president of the new commission, in charge of industrial strategy.
Focus on competitiveness
The day after the Draghi report, which highlighted the enormous Union’s competitiveness shortcomingsthe President of the Commission argued for a new “balanced”, “more fluid” and “interconnected” college, “in line with the Draghi report”. Understanding that the “competitiveness” axis, through a more proactive industrial policy, particularly in terms of innovation, will be at the heart of the work of the commission. In any case, “All commissioners must work closely together”argued Ursula von der Leyen, who insisted that the college must reflect a “geographical” balance, but also in terms of parity. At the level of the presidency and vice-presidencies, the bet is more than met, with five women (including von der Leyen) for two men.
But, for the whole college (see the infographic), it was a failure, with Ursula von der Leyen deploring the fact that the Member States had only submitted 22% of women in total. “Unacceptable”, according to her, who had to fight hard to reduce this proportion to 40% of women likely to join the college.
In this respect, the choice by the MR – supported by its partners in Arizona – to propose Hadja Lahbib in place of the experienced Didier Reynders, was going to in line with Ursula von der Leyen’s wisheswho also highlighted the importance of the “expanded” portfolio assigned to the Belgian, stressing that preparation for the “consequences of climate change” and “preparation for crises in general” in an international context “reflect” “her career”. “She was the right candidate”Ursula von der Leyen has decided. All that remains for Hadja Lahbib is to pass her hearing without a hitch before the European Parliament, which will grant her — or not — its confidence.
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