European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing mounting challenges as she strives to create a gender-balanced team of commissioners amidst a lack of cooperation from EU member states. Despite her directive for each country to propose both a male and female candidate, only Bulgaria has complied, leaving von der Leyen in a precarious position as her self-imposed deadline approaches. With the composition of the new European Commission still uncertain, she must navigate the complexities of geographical and political balance while adhering to her commitment to gender equality—a task made even more difficult by the reluctance of many states to engage in this initiative. As the announcement date looms, the pressures on von der Leyen intensify, highlighting the tension between ambition and practicality in EU governance.
Index: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked the EU member states to present both a male and a female candidate for commissioner, but only Bulgaria did so. EU officials say that by doing so, member states have completely snubbed the European Commission president. Nevertheless, von der Leyen insists on a gender balance in her new team and has put pressure on some smaller member states.
Von der Leyen’s self-imposed deadline is fast approaching, but she has still not managed to assemble her team, leaving the composition of the new European Commission still uncertain, Politico reports.
The EU commission head is scheduled to announce on Wednesday which of her 26 commissioner-designates — one from each member state — will be given the job after meeting with the leaders of the European Parliament’s various political groups.
🇵🇱🇪🇺🔥 "This madness will be stopped after these elections. We'll wipe the smiles from your faces!"
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) April 24, 2024
Explosive speech from Polish MEP @D_Tarczynski who scolds Ursula von der Leyen for her failures on youth unemployment, the Green Deal, and illegal immigration. pic.twitter.com/hAd0k2ZccL
However, EU officials say von der Leyen has not made her job any easier, as she is too focused on gender balance without having the tools to achieve this goal. The hole she has dug is “deeper and deeper,” one of them added.
The task facing the long-standing new president of the European Commission was already complex, as von der Leyen has to take into account the geographical balance, the political balance and the gender balance. Last-minute changes to the nominees — and finding a new field of candidates without undermining the overall balance — make her task even more difficult.
