Ursula von der Leyen encounters challenges in her relations with males.
Ursula von der Leyen is about to reveal her team for the revamped EU Commission, yet she's grappling with an issue: her desire for gender equality is not reflected in her candidate lineup, which boasts more men than women. The member states have until Friday to submit their national commissioners, leaving von der Leyen with 17 men and 7 women, including herself. It's expected that Italy will also nominate a man, and Belgium and Bulgaria, yet to form new governments, might delayed their candidate selection.
If these projections hold true, the "Von der Leyen II" Commission could feature a mere 7 women among its 27 members, the least in 20 years. However, the Commission's leadership will be all-female; Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is set to take charge as the EU's High Representative alongside being a Vice-President of the Commission. Regrettably, von der Leyen's call for gender parity hasn't been heeded by any country, which proposes commissioners based on their merit, according to the members states.
"A Lack of Both Awareness and Will"
The European Women's Lobby, a group advocating for gender equality, decries this situation as more than just aesthetically disappointing. The organization's spokesperson, Mirta Baselovic, criticizes the member states, asserting that they either have no understanding of the female talent pool in their countries or willfully ignore it.
Rich criticism has also come from the European Parliament, which will review the candidates in the upcoming weeks. Lina Gálvez Muñoz, head of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, voiced her displeasure, terming the situation a "bad message" particularly to young women and girls. The Spanish socialist slammed the countries over their apparent lack of political ambition.
A diplomat from Brussels, wishing to remain anonymous, sees a familiar power play between institutions. "We expect von der Leyen to advocate for gender equality," he said. "At the same time, we consider it our sovereign right to propose a competent commissioner."
Von der Leyen's Strong Hand
Alberto Alemanno, a Parisian expert on European law, believes that von der Leyen holds significant leverage in this power struggle. By rejecting the member states' list and demonstrating her independence, she can assert her power. However, Alemanno insists that von der Leyen's stronger bargaining tool is her capacity to allocate key portfolios.
According to Alemanno, several nations seek coveted positions such as competition policy, internal market, economy, finance, and trade. With these positions, von der Leyen can use her influence to pressure member states to propose female candidates in exchange for their desired portfolio.
Once von der Leyen submits her preferred candidates, the European Parliament can question them, scrutinizing their backgrounds and motivations. In the past, the Parliament has managed to influence the appointments, for instance, rejecting certain candidates from Hungary and Romania due to "conflicts of interest" during von der Leyen's first tenure. In theory, Parliaments' power is limited to approving or rejecting the Commission as a whole.
Whether the new Commission will be able to get down to business as planned on November 1st is uncertain. Eric Mamer, von der Leyen's spokesman, remains guarded: "The President is doing her utmost to attain balance in her team."
The European Women's Lobby, led by spokesperson Mirta Baselovic, criticizes the member states, claiming they either lack awareness of their country's female talent pool or willfully ignore it in proposing commissioners. The Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, is expected to face a gender imbalance, with only 7 women among the 27 members, according to projections.
Despite the lack of gender parity in the proposed Commission, the Commission's leadership will be all-female, with Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas set to serve as the EU's High Representative and a Vice-President of the Commission.
