- Von der Leyen faces potential setbacks in achieving her goal of increased female participation.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces potential setbacks in her endeavor for a balanced gender ratio within her new leadership team, due to insufficient cooperation from member states. Approaching the nomination deadline, more than half of the governments had proposed sole male candidates for the 27-member College of Commissioners, with each nation allowed to nominate one commissioner, including von der Leyen and the already nominated High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas.
If the nominations remain unaltered, the new College might end up being approximately two-thirds male. Currently, 12 out of the 27 Commission members are female. The EU Commission employs approximately 32,000 staff responsible for proposing new EU laws and monitoring the enforcement of European treaties.
Ignoring Germany's Desires
Re-elected President von der Leyen had requested the heads of state and government of EU countries to nominate both males and females to promote gender balance within the Commission, with exceptions for governments re-nominating their current commissioners. Countries such as France, Hungary, and Latvia have done so.
For example, France has nominated Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, while Hungary and Latvia have re-nominated Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi and Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, respectively. Lastly, Denmark announced it would send its current Minister for Development Cooperation, Dan Jørgensen, as the new Danish EU Commissioner to Brussels, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen justifying that there's no need to feel ashamed for lacking a female nominee, as Denmark has been represented in the Commission by Margrethe Vestager for years.
Bulgaria is the only country to have publicly proposed both male and female candidates, indicating former Foreign Minister Ekaterina Sachariewa and former Environment Minister Julian Popow. The status of Italy and Belgium's nominations remains unclear, with expectations that Italy might nominate Raffaele Fitto as the new Minister for European Affairs in the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Gender Balance: An Impossibility?
Frustrated by these actions, von der Leyen believes that member states aren't acting responsibly. However, she recognizes that the governments are not legally bound to comply with her request for gender parity. The EU Treaty only calls for the Commission to reflect "the demographic and geographic diversity of the Union as a whole," with no explicit mentions of gender balance.
The selection process for Commissioners marks the culmination of filling top political positions following the European elections in June. Von der Leyen was re-nominated and elected as President of the powerful body shortly thereafter by the European Parliament. Upon accepting the nominations from governments for Commissioner positions and distributing portfolios, she still has the option to apply pressure by nominating another woman. Commission members should perform their duties independently while their home countries generally seek to secure prime positions with their candidates.
Pressure on Member States
Recent reports suggest that Von der Leyen proposed altering the nomination of Malta's current commissioner, Helena Dalli, in exchange for a more desirable portfolio instead of assigning it to Glenn Micallef. Von der Leyen has remained silent on the ongoing selection process, with her spokespeople confirming only that she is conversing with nominated candidates and is likely to assign portfolios by September 11. For the first time, there will be commissioners overseeing topics like defense and housing.
Risk of Damage to Reputation
Italian EU law expert Alberto Alemanno has warned that a predominantly male Commission could undermine the authority of the President of the EU Commission. He advised Von der Leyen to express her dissatisfaction to national capitals and ask for instantaneous new candidate lists to minimize potential damage to her own reputation and that of the EU.
According to Alemanno, weak male candidates might struggle to receive approval from the European Parliament. This would compel governments to nominate new candidates, potentially delaying the new Commission's commencement during a geopolitically significant period. The new Commission led by Von der Leyen is scheduled to begin operations on November 1, just before the US presidential election.
Despite President von der Leyen's requests for gender balance within the Commission, nations like France have only proposed male candidates, contributing to the potential imbalance. If the nominations remain as they are, the new College of Commissioners may see a two-thirds male representation, contradicting the EU's efforts towards gender equality.
