The governments of the European Union member states will each be required to present two candidates – one woman and one man – for the positions of European commissioners, announced Ursula von der Leyen, newly re-elected on Thursday by the European Parliament to lead the EU executive, according to APA.
An exception will be allowed if a state wishes to retain its current commissioner. However, the overall goal will be to achieve gender parity within the future Commission. Once Ursula von der Leyen assembles her team of commissioners, they will be reviewed by the European Parliament in the fall.
Beforehand, the committee for legal affairs of the EP will check the declarations of financial interests and possible conflicts of interest of the candidates for the positions of commissioners.
The respective committees will later submit the individual candidates to a vote, although the European Parliament can approve or reject the Commission only in its entirety. T
he vote in Parliament on the entire Commission could take place, according to the plan, in September. This would pave the way for the second von der Leyen Commission to take over its mandate on November 1, as planned.
Bucharest is interested in a portfolio in the economic field. The names proposed by the Romanian Government will be known in August, when there will also be interviews with Ursula von der Leyen. The hearings in the specialized committees of the European Parliament will take place in the fall.
PM Ciolacu: After two ladies, it’s time for a man
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, also chairman of PSD, declared on Wednesday that he will propose a man for the position of European Commissioner that is assigned to Romania in the new composition of the European Commission.
“After two proposed ladies, I think we will propose a man. I repeat, twice Romania came with two proposals for commissioner, for ladies. I think that this time, Romania can make a proposal for a gentleman”, he declared Marcel Ciolacu, being asked if he will have two proposals for the position of European Commissioner that will return to Romania, for equal opportunities, respectively “a woman and a man”, PM Ciolacu said.
Romania’s previous EU commissioners were Adina Valean, Commissioner for Transports, and Corina Cretu, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms.
When asked about the negotiations conducted by the Romanian side for the post of European Commissioner, PM Ciolacu replied: “Just like in the case of the Commission and the leadership of the Commission, just like in the case of the European Parliament, you saw that the PSD is represented and Romania is represented by a vice-president, in the Parliament (European ed.). These functions, by custom , they are divided according to the political families. Romania will have a representative in the position of commissioner. First, the commissioner positions are divided within the political families of which they belong S&D, the fact that we want the economic commissioner, the current economic commissioner is Mr. Gentiloni. We will see how the negotiations will go. But you also know that we, Romania, are different than the others the commissioner, and Mr. President Iohannis, according to a decision of the CCR that I am not commenting on, but we are implementing, are negotiating within the European Council.”
However, PNL MEP Siegfried Mureşan says that he was “very surprised” to hear Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu that he wants Romania to get the portfolio of European Commissioner for the Economy, given that Romania is in the process of excessive deficit.
Mureşan adds that “it is not possible, especially for a PSD candidate, to obtain the position of European commissioner to oversee compliance with the deficit rules, when Romania, during the PSD government, since 2017, is the only European state in the deficit procedure, and Mr. Ciolacu tells us all the time that he wants a bigger deficit and not a smaller deficit”.
“So, I think someone is giving him bad advice and I don’t know why he is going in this direction. The European Union will not put the wolf to watch over the sheep”, added Mureşan.
The PNL MEP was asked about the chances of receiving the European enlargement portfolio. “I think that we deserve a strong portfolio, I think that in Expansion we have competitive advantages, we have Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, the states neighboring us, in Defense as well, maybe even in some economic portfolios, if we present good candidates, but not to that portfolio in which to ensure compliance with the deficit rules. I am surprised how the prime minister assumed a goal that he will not be able to deliver,” he said.
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