Von der Leyen could begin forming a team after Belgium appoints foreign minister as commissioner

Belgium appointed its Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib as European Commissioner on Monday after the deadline for applications passed, allowing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to begin putting together a team.

Three days after the deadline for European Union (EU) member states to submit their candidates – ideally two (one man and one woman) – for the post of European Commissioner for the next term (2024-2029), Belgium became the only country not to do so, but did so today, nominating Hadj Lahbib for the post.

The information was provided by the Belgian press and confirmed to Luce by sources in the new Belgian government, who indicated that the negotiators for the future leader had reached an agreement on the proposal of the current foreign minister.

The appointment will allow Ursula von der Leyen to form her team after the person in charge has already begun interviews with previously proposed names.

Last Wednesday, Portugal presented its proposal, which came from former Finance Minister Maria Luis Albuquerque.

So far, only eight of the 28 names submitted (Bulgaria has proposed one man and one woman) are female, and the gender balance required by von der Leyen has not been met, but the list is not yet closed as it must be approved by parliament.

So far, nine of the 28 names submitted (Bulgaria has proposed a man and a woman, while Romania has changed its candidate to a female candidate) are female, in line with von der Leyen’s request for gender balance, but the list is not yet closed because it must be approved by parliament.

The European Parliament is expected to hold public hearings on the names proposed for new European Commissioners between September and October, with the European Assembly giving final approval in plenary session so that the new European Commission can take office later.

If all the proposed names were to receive an immediate green light from the European Parliament, the new College of Commissioners could take office on 1 November, but if rejected, that deadline would jump to 1 December, given the time the country needs to propose a new name and for that candidate to be interviewed by Ursula von der Leyen and heard at a hearing in the European Assembly.

Therefore, European sources consulted by Lusa hope that the inauguration will take place by the end of this year.

As for its executive team, the President of the European Commission is responsible for the selection and allocation of the various portfolios, taking into account the geographical size of the country, the skills of the candidates and their preferences following the appointments made by the countries.

The request for countries to submit names was made in letters sent in late July by the President of the European Commission to EU heads of government and state, in which the person in charge defended a “gender-balanced College of Commissioners”.

Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as President of the European Commission for another five years in July last year.

The centre-right German politician has served as Commission President since December 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the post, and was the candidate leading the European People’s Party’s list in the European elections in June.