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The second article covers portfolios of twenty new Commissioners, who are popularly regarded as the European “sectoral minister”. As soon as their portfolios include numerous competences and capacities, it is appropriate limiting “presentations” in a divided form according to present College political priorities. It is also worth mentioning that the new staff starts practical work already in the beginning of December.
Background
The EU integration is aimed at creating continental sustainable, digital and inclusive growth patterns future through presently valid six key priorities: – striving to be the first climate-neutral continent through the green deal; – empowering people with a new generation of technologies through digitalization transition; – ensuring progressive social market economy through fairness and prosperity; – reinforcing responsible global leadership; – increasing social protection and safeguarding European values; – protecting democracy, equality and inclusion.
It seems however that these priorities are going to be “modernized” and altered later on; the new Commission College, which starts this December, provides ample reasons of these altering necessities.
More in: https://commission.europa.eu/index_en
It is important –although extremely complicated – to assemble the new Commissioners according to their portfolios and responsibilities; in this way it might be easier to see how the College as the EU executive institution fits into modern challenges and the EU-wide priorities.
First article on the College’s leadership, i.e. the executive vice presidents in:
https://www.integrin.dk/2024/11/30/new-european-commissions-college-competences-and-roles-for-next-five-years-part-i/
European “sectoral ministers”
The first “team” of Commissioners could be arranged around the green deal and climate mitigation efforts:
= Wopke Hoekstra (Dutch), Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth; initially, he served in the Commission (since July 2024) on climate actions and transport issues. Presently Hoekstra proved to be an able and often even passionate defender of the EU’s climate goals. His initiatives for carbon pricing were well known, together with the climate mitigation “taxation” mechanism.
= Jessika Roswall (Sweden), Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy; since 2022 served as a national minister for the EU affairs.
The second “team” is involved in the digital transition:
= Ekaterina Zaharieva (Bulgaria), Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation; her recent positions in the country included: member of the Bulgarian Parliament during 2017-24, deputy PM for Judicial Reform and Foreign Affairs minister in 2017-21, Justice minister during 2015-17, as well as deputy PM for Economic Policy and Minister for Regional Development and Public Works during 2013-14.
In third team (at least 4 members) is responsible for global leadership and the EU role in the world:
= Marta Kos (Slovenia), Commissioner for Enlargement; during 2013-2021served as Slovenian Ambassador to several EU states.
= Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania), Commissioner for Defence and Space: he was twice the national PM (during 1999-20 and 2008-12; since 2019 MEP.
= Dubravka Šuica (Croatia), Commissioner for Mediterranean affairs; she has been until recently the Commission VP for Democracy and Demography (since 2019); Vice-President of European People’s Party (EPP) since 2022, as well as the MEP from 2016, the Head of the Croatian EPP delegation and Vice-Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee during 2013-19.
= Jozef Síkela (Czech), Commissioner for international partnerships: former national minister of industry and trade (since 2021).
The fourth team (at least 8 members) includes activities to ensure progressive social market economy:
= Maroš Šefčovič , Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Inter-institutional Relations and Transparency; he has served already 15 years in the European Commission (and it is his fourth service term); now he is responsible for the messy trade-economic issues, including trans-Atlantic relations, the EU-UK deal, trade around the world, etc.
= Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia), Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification; he is quite familiar with the EU’s bureaucracy: MEP since 2014, Commission VP for Euro and social dialogue and CMU during 2014-19, and recently Commission EVP for economic development.
= Christophe Hansen (Luxembourg), Commissioner for Agriculture and Food: his recent occupations included being MEP since 2024, member of the national parliament (and chairman of the Committee on environment, climate and biodiversity during 2023-24), as well as MEP during 2018-23.
= Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Greece), Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism: he has been lately the Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia (since 2014), first VP of the European Committee of the Regions and later the President (during 2020-22), President of the Association of Greek Regions since 2019, and a member of the European Committee of the Regions, Head of the Greek Delegation, since 2017.
= Piotr Serafin (Poland), Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration; his national portfolio included: Polish Permanent Representative to the EU since 2023, Director of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, General Secretariat of the Council of the EU
2020–2023; Head of the Cabinet to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk
2014–2019; Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Plenipotentiary for coordination of Prime Minister’s participation in European Council meetings during 2012-2014.
= Dan Jørgensen (Denmark), Commissioner for energy and housing; for several years he occupied ministerial positions in Denmark: Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy since 2022; Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities during 2019-2022; Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries during 2013-2015.
= Maria Luís Albuquerque (Portugal), Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union; she has been involved in the Stanley Morgan Bank and was a member of the Commission’s High Level Forum on capital markets union. During 2013-15 she was Portugal minister of finance.
= Costas Kadis (Cyprus), Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans; he has hold several ministerial posts during 2007-2023.
The fifth team includes protecting democracy, equality and inclusion:
= Glenn Micallef (Malta), Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport: since 2020 – head of country’s PM secretariat, advisor on EU affairs and European Council Sherpa.
The sixth team (at least 4 members) is dealing with increasing social protection and safeguarding European values:
= Olivér Várhelyi (Hungary), Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. The former Hungarian ambassador to the EU, he is a passionate supporter for health issues.
= Michael McGrath (Ireland), Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law: since 2007 – member of national parliament; during last four years – holding ministerial positions, i.e. minister of public finances and reforms, and finance minister.
= Magnus Brunner (Austria), Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration; since 2021 served as the federal minister of finance.
= Hadja Lahbib (Belgium), Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality; since 2022 she served as the country’s foreign affairs minister.
Our opinion. It has to be remembered that the presented “division” of Commissioners is quite vague and preliminary: most Commissioners’ portfolios are both intervened and cross-sectoral. This arrangement shows the “collective” decision-making and approach to implementing Colleges’ political priorities.
Note. The Polish Council’s rotating Presidency (starting from January 2025) and coinciding with the new College active functioning, presents a vital opportunity to reboot EU policies, review investment, growth patterns and competitiveness.
For example, BusinessEurope has presented the “Warsaw Declaration” (with ten key actions during the Polish Presidency) outlining the EU-wide corporate priorities, emphasizing that in order to “remain an anchor of peace, prosperity and stability, Europe must act decisively to strengthen its economy and close the widening competitiveness gap with major global players”. As soon as security will be the central theme of the incoming presidency, BusinessEurope underlined that “strong and competitive economy would be the foundation for Europe’s security”.
More in the position paper at: https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/polish-eu-presidency-businesseurope-members-issue-warsaw-declaration/479373?utm_source=ieu-portal