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The selection of a new European Commission, never the simplest of political tasks, will this year be more complex than ever. Politically and institutionally, 2009 contains a whole range of permutations regarding the 'how?', 'when?' and 'who?' of the next EU executive.
At the political level, it remains to be seen how many commissioners will receive a renewed mandate, and with the likely creation of a number of significant new portfolios, the usual horsetrading for influential commissionerships is likely to intensify.
Irish ‘yes’ at second referendum (EurActiv 03/10/09) and the signature of the Czech president, Vaclav Klaus (EurActiv 03/11/09) ended almost a decade of constitutional debate in the European Union.
However, if the mandate of the current Commission ended on 31 October 2009, it will remain in place the new College is approved and takes office, early 2010.
Returning to national service
In January, EurActiv broke the story that the next European Commission may feature as many as twenty new faces (EurActiv 28/01/09), with most of its current members expected to leave the EU executive on their own initiative or as a result of changing national political contexts.
It is relatively common for commissioners to leave their positions during or at the end of their mandates in order to take national office, usually in government. High-profile 'defectors' in 2008 included Peter Mandelson (EurActiv 06/10/08) and Franco Frattini (EurActiv 10/03/08).
Critics often argue that this weakens the Commission, both in terms of its administrative continuity and general public perception. Indeed, earlier this year, Dalia Grybauskaitė, at the time the EU's commissioner for budget and financial planning, left Brussels to successfully run for the Lithuanian presidency (EurActiv 18/05/09).
Of particular interest this year, however, was the fact that a number of commissioners put themselves forward for June's EU elections as high-profile names on their national party lists. According to EU rules, if commissioners choose to return to their home countries to engage in active campaigning, they must leave their positions. However, if they simply attach their name to a party list, they are not required to step down.
As a result, a commissioner could, in theory, head an electoral list in their member state and gain many votes due to his/her high profile, then decide to not take up their seat in the Parliament, thus passing their seat to the next person on the list, all the while continuing to work for the EU executive. Indeed, this is precisely what happened as Commissioners Kuneva, Hübner and Reding topped the poll in Bulgaria, Poland and Luxembourg respectively.
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, president of the Party of European Socialists (PES), told EurActiv that "some commissioners will use their position to promote themselves as candidates. That is wrong, and the president of the Commission should insist that anyone who does so must stand down".
Strongly rebuking this practice, Rasmussen said although "commissioners are party-political," they "need to keep their official duties very separate from their political activities," adding that he "can name, shame and complain" if he believes "commissioners are abusing their positions or taking advantage of their president's party-political sympathies".
The PES president believes the flaw lies in the Commission's internal code of conduct
, which in his opinion ought to be reviewed "at the very least". "It might be better to oblige commissioners to stand down as soon as they are chosen as a candidate. Also, I am not very happy with the idea of commissioners standing down only for the duration of the campaign – as if being a commissioner was an unimportant task that can simply be set aside if the commissioner has something more interesting to do," he said.
Barroso II: The sequel
Since announcing in July 2008 his desire to serve a second term as Commission president, José Manuel Barroso's reappointment seemed increasingly inevitable, despite his star dimming somewhat with the escalation of the global financial crisis. The failure of the European left to unite around a single alternative candidate before the European elections in June 2009 was arguably Barroso's greatest boon.
When the centre-right won the elections (EurActiv 07/06/09), many commentators viewed the result as the last piece in the puzzle for Barroso's reappointment.
Barroso won unanimous backing from EU heads of state and government at the 18-19 June summit for a second five-year mandate at the head of the European Commission (EurActiv 19/06/09), and on 16 September the European Parliament approved him to steer the European Commission for a second five-year term - not only under the terms of the current Nice Treaty, but also under the tougher criteria of the Lisbon Treaty, when it comes into force.
Three 'new' commissioner portfolios
Presenting his plans for the new Commission, Barroso confirmed that he envisages a commissioner responsible for justice, fundamental rights and civil liberties, including citizens' and minority rights. This is no surprise, as Liberal (ALDE) leader Guy Verhofstadt made his group's support for Barroso conditional on the creation of such a post (EurActiv 15/07/09). As reported by EurActiv, Brussels is awash with speculation as to what other new portfolios may emerge (EurActiv 24/09/09)
Barroso also said he envisages having a commissioner for internal affairs and migration, and another one for "climate action". He also said he planned to create the new post of chief scientific advisor (EurActiv 25/09/09).
Table of commissioners:
|
Country |
Name and current role of commissioner |
Commissioner-designate |
Portfolio |
EurActiv coverage |
|
Portugal |
José Manuel Barroso President |
Reappointed. |
Barroso will serve another term as president, and with a reinforced mandate could construct a more dynamic, policy-driven role for himself. |
|
|
Sweden |
Margot Wallström Vice-President Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy |
Swedish Minister for European Affairs Cecilia Malmström (ALDE) was officially proposed by Swedish government to replace Wallström who served two terms. |
Changes are expected. |
|
|
Germany |
Günter Verheugen Vice-President Enterprise and Industry |
Günther Oettinger, a Christian Democrat, minister-president of Baden-Württemberg since 2005, will replace Social Democrat Verheugen, who will retire. This choice marks the return of a CDU member to the Commission after a 20-year absence. |
Brussels think-tank Bruegel argued that the Commission should "go back to the situation that prevailed until the early 1990s" and merge the internal market and industrial affairs portfolios. Germany wants the trade chief post, diplomats said, or possibly a bolstered industry portfolio. |
|
|
France |
Jacques Barrot Vice-President Justice, Freedom and Security |
While Barrot has announced his willingness to serve another term, Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed on 30 October he wanted former French Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier (EPP) as his replacement. He is currently the head of the French delegation in the European Parliament. |
France would like to get internal market portfolio, including the financial services. |
|
|
Estonia |
Siim Kallas Vice-President Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud |
Reappointed by the Estonian government on 17 September, Siim Kallas will remain commissioner and could even keep the same portfolio. |
He could could keep his current portfolio or get the budget one. |
|
|
Italy |
Antonio Tajani Vice-President Transport |
Antonio Tajani has been reappointed. |
Tajani is pushing strongly to keep the transport dossier. He said he is in favour of a "special fund for transport" to finance investment in the sector. |
|
|
Luxembourg |
Viviane Reding Information Society and Media Commissioner |
Viviane Reding will serve a third term with the same portfolio, having topped the poll in European elections. |
Rumours are rife that Barroso may create a new 'digital' portfolio to replace the current information society brief, as desired by Reding. Such a move would strengthen the commissioner's hand in enforcing competition in the telecommunications market as well as addressing the thorny issue of digital copyright. |
|
|
Greece |
Stavros Dimas Environment Commissioner |
Maria Damanaki, a member of the Hellenic Parliament within the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), was chosen by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to replace Dimas. |
Greece is expecting the environment portfolio, but Denmark wants it too. Barroso wants a commissioner for 'climate action'. However, it remains to be seen which specific directorates will fall under that remit, besides those currently under the environment portfolio. A big country may expect to be awarded this new brief. |
|
|
Spain |
Joaquín Almunia Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner |
Joaquín Almunia has been reappointed. |
He is likely to keep the economics portfolio. |
|
|
Poland |
Paweł Samecki Regional Policy Commissioner |
Janusz Lewandowski, a centre-right MEP and economist from the ruling Civic Platform party, has been designated to replace Paweł Samecki, who replaced Danuta Hübner when she was elected as an MEP. |
Poland is seeking to secure either the budget, economic and monetary affairs, single market or enterprise and industry portfolios. But the difficulties the country created during negotiations on the Lisbon Treaty, and its subsequent ratification, may hamper its ambitions. |
|
|
Malta |
Joe Borg Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner |
Social Policy Minister John Dalli has been designated to replace Borg. |
Dalli has a background in finance and administration but Malta is not expecting any portfolio in particular. |
|
|
Lithuania |
Algirdas Šemeta Financial Programming and Budget Commissioner |
Algirdas Šemeta arrived in Brussels in July 2009 after Dalia Grybauskaité had left the Commission to become Lithuanian president. He has been reappointed by the government. |
Lithuania could keep the budget portfolio in the new Commission. |
|
|
Slovenia |
Janez Potočnik Science and Research Commissioner |
Janez Potočnik has been appointed for a second term by the Slovenian government. |
Experts told EurActiv that "if the president is serious about research and development and the new Lisbon Agenda, then it could make sense to have a commissioner for human capital, encompassing R&D and the modernisation of the European economies in a forward-looking manner". |
|
|
Slovakia |
Maroš Šefčovič Education, Training, Culture and Youth Commissioner |
Slovakia's government-nominated EU Ambassador Maroš Šefčovič to replace Ján Figel' in September 2009. |
The portfolio could be restructured in the event that the research and development job is rethought, but Slovakia is eyeing a "stronger portfolio," preferably energy or transport. |
|
|
Finland |
Olli Rehn Enlargement Commissioner |
Olli Rehn has been confirmed by Finnish PM Matti Vanhanen as the country's candidate for the commissioner's post. |
No changes expected, though Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb are lobbying for a prominent portfolio for Rehn. |
|
|
Belgium |
Karel de Gucht Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner |
Karel De Gucht, former Belgian minister for foreign affairs, has been reappointed as the post was handed over to a Fleming as foreseen by Belgium's principle of language rotation. He has replaced Louis Michel in the current Commission, elected to the European Parliament. |
He could keep the same portfolio but Belgium is hoping to secure energy or trade. |
|
|
Hungary |
László Kovács Taxation and Customs Union Commissioner |
László Andor, an economist and member of the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development since 2005, is the candidate designated to succeed Kovács. He is not affiliated to any political party but has the support of the governing Socialists (MSZP). |
Andor would like to get regional policy. |
|
|
Netherlands |
Neelie Kroes Competition Commissioner |
Neelie Kroes has been reappointed for another five-year term. |
Kroes is likely to get an economic portfolio. |
|
|
Denmark |
Mariann Fischer Boel Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner |
Connie Hedegaard has been confirmed as Denmark's next commissioner, and is eyeing the climate change dossier. On 15 September, Mariann Fischer Boel confirmed that she is stepping down. |
Denmark will likely seek the climate portfolio. |
|
|
Austria |
Benita Ferrero-Waldner External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner |
Science Minister Johannes Hahn will be Austria's next EU commissioner and will replace Ferrero-Waldner, who did not have the support of her government. |
Until the next Commission takes over, Ferrero-Waldner will take the trade portfolio previously held by Catherine Ashton. |
|
|
Ireland |
Charlie McCreevy Internal Market and Services Commissioner |
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn is Ireland's official candidate. In 1979, she became the first woman to hold an Irish cabinet post since the foundation of the state in 1922, as minister for the Gaeltacht. She is currently Ireland's representative to the European Court of Auditors. |
Geoghan-Quinn is tipped to take the budget portfolio. |
|
|
Czech Republic |
Vladimír Špidla Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner |
Stefan Füle, the current European affairs minister, has been designated by the Czech Republic. Füle has served as ambassador to Lithuania, the United Kingdom and NATO. In May 2009, when he was named a minister in Jan Fischer's government, his communist past and the fact that he studied at the Soviet State Institute for International Relations in Moscow sparked debate. |
No changes expected. |
EurActiv 03/09/08 |
|
Latvia |
Andris Piebalgs Energy Commissioner |
Andris Piebalgs was nominated by his government for a second term to oversee energy issues in the 27-member bloc. |
The portfolio could be reshuffled to reflect changing priorities. Experts told EurActiv that the portfolios of energy, transport and natural resources will take a front-line position in the next Commission and provoke a debate over which commissioner gets what. |
|
|
Bulgaria |
Meglena Kuneva Consumer Protection Commissioner |
Rumiania Jeleva, a former MEP and current foreign minister, will replace Kuneva. |
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has announced that Bulgaria is expecting the energy portfolio. |
|
|
Romania |
Leonard Orban Multilingualism Commissioner |
As reported by EurActiv Romania, former Agriculture Minister Dacian Ciolos will be the country's new commissioner. |
The Romanian government will push hard for him to be given the agriculture portfolio. Some experts have called for a European culture commissioner, arguing that "right now we have one commissioner for education and culture and one for multilingualism. There is a reasonably sound case to re-aligning those two, allowing a strong European culture commissioner to cover not only issues generally pertaining to European culture, but also to deal with minorities and languages". |
|
|
Cyprus |
Androulla Vassiliou Health Commissioner |
Androulla Vassiliou wants to serve a full term and has been reappointed. |
She could keep health or get the new fundamental rights portfolio. |
|
|
United Kingdom |
Catherine Ashton Trade Commissioner |
During the extraordinary summit of 19 November, Catherine Ashton was appointed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and becomes a vice-president of the Commission, in charge of external relations. |
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the Commission. |
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(12 November 2009)
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