The Commission chief is expected to give a first glimpse of the policy portfolios her 26-strong team of Commissioners will be asked to steer.
Ursula von der Leyen is meeting the European Parliament’s president and political leaders in Strasbourg on Tuesday, where she is expected to unveil the “structure and portfolios” of her future team of European Commissioners.
The presentation, part of new parliamentary requirements, is designed to give the Parliament’s political leaders the opportunity to scrutinise her plans before nominees undergo parliamentary hearings and a confirmation vote.
But uncertainty still hangs over what exactly von der Leyen will be able to unveil on Tuesday, after political infighting in Slovenia prevented the country’s candidate, Marta Kos, from being signed off in time for the meeting.
Slovenia, along with Romania, retracted their original candidates after von der Leyen lobbied a handful of EU governments for women, part of her coordinated push to ensure gender parity in her team. The Slovenian opposition has accused the government of giving in to von der Leyen’s pressure, preventing a parliamentary committee from green-lighting Kos’s candidature.
It means von der Leyen could be forced to unveil the policy portfolios without divvying them up between nominated Commissioners.\
Thierry Breton’s abrupt announcementon Monday that he was resigning and retracting his re-election bid also cast doubt over von der Leyen’s ability to unveil a proposed team. But France swiftly proposed Stéphane Séjourné as its new candidate, angling for a portfolio related to Europe’s competitiveness.
