EU commissioners' list postponed, socialists up the ante on Fitto's candidature
President von der Leyen is stalling until Tuesday 17. Official reason: Slovenia's delay in finalising its candidature
from our correspondent Beda Romano
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BRUSSELS - The formation of the new college of commissioners, a traditional exercise in political balancing, is proving complicated. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday 10 that the presentation of the new team would not take place today, 11 September, as planned, but next week. In the meantime, some parties are rumbling. On Tuesday even the Socialists threatened a veto against the conservative commissioners, among whom Raffaele Fitto stands out.
Officially, the postponement of the presentation of the college was induced by Slovenia, which will only this Friday give the final go-ahead to its candidate-commissioner, Marta Kos, a former diplomat. As a result, the presentation of the college to the parliamentary group leaders will take place next Tuesday in Strasbourg, according to the information transmitted by both the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Commenting on the postponement on Tuesday with a hint of irony, a European official remarked: 'I think the Slovenian issue is in fact a valid, and very welcome, excuse in the eyes of Mrs von der Leyen. My feeling is that the president was not ready and that the Slovenian snag helps her to gain a few days. The problem, however, is that the longer she waits, the more the daily demands and pressure from the member states will increase...'.
As mentioned, the distribution of delegations is always a delicate exercise, in which the president or chairperson must take into account the interests of the member states, geographical and political balances, the preparation of the candidates, and also their gender. Ms von der Leyen would have liked to have received from the member countries the names of two candidates - one man and one woman - so that half of the college could be represented by women. Few countries complied with this request.
On Tuesday, Socialist group leader Iratxe García Perez warned: 'Actively bringing conservatives into the heart of the European Commission would be a recipe for losing progressive support'.
