Two months after her re-election as President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen unveiled on Tuesday morning the team of 25 commissioners who should, barring a veto from Parliament, embody her executive for the next five years.
Following the surprise resignation of Thierry Breton, who was officially declared a candidate by France in the summer, it is finally Stéphane Séjourné, proposed on Monday by the Élysée, who will represent France in this team. He is being offered a vice-presidency, with a portfolio dedicated to the ” industrial strategy and prosperity “.
Séjourné should thus oversee all European policies dedicated to the issues of industrial sovereignty, reindustrialization and competitiveness. He will also be responsible for the portfolio of Industry, SMEs and the Single Market. He will lead the work to create the conditions for our businesses to thrive – from investment and innovation to economic stability, trade and economic security. “, the president said on Tuesday morning.
A portfolio with slightly revised contours compared to that of her predecessor, Thierry Breton. The distribution made by Ursula von der Leyen effectively compartmentalizes the subjects more closely. Thus, the questions of digital sovereignty and security land in the portfolio of the Finnish Henna Virkkunen, while startups, research and innovation fall under the mandate entrusted to the Bulgarian Ekaterina Zakharieva. The European Commission is also inaugurating a new commission dedicated to defense and space issues, led by the Lithuanian Andrius Kubilius.
As is customary, the casting presented on Tuesday morning by the president – based on the candidates proposed to her by the member states – must still obtain the approval of Parliament, which will involve a hearing of the 25 candidates on the key issues of their new portfolio… and therefore questions on their level of expertise. We are not asking them to be technicians, but to lead policies. “, wants to defuse Ursula von der Leyen.
Close to Emmanuel Macron, Stéphane Séjourné has been Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs since January 2024, now resigning, in Gabriel Attal’s government. He has also been president of the Renew group in the European Parliament since 2021.
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