Economic portfolios are key in talks to chose new EU commissioners

All governments must announce their nominees for the European Commission by August 30.

Transcript

00:00Chairs waiting to be occupied by the new European Union commissioners, but who will deal with

00:05portfolios that have an economic impact, the most coveted by the 27 member states?

00:12Friday is the final day for governments to announce their nominees.

00:16Analysts say the budget portfolio is undoubtedly the top prize in negotiations, as Ursula von

00:21der Leyen forms her second executive.

00:24We have the multi-annual financial framework which needs to be negotiated in the next term.

00:29This will be a very difficult and very heavy dossier, but it will also be something which

00:35will be very determining also the priorities of the years to come.

00:43France is expected to maintain a strong portfolio, with Thierry Breton currently on internal

00:49market likely to be nominated for a second term as a commissioner.

00:55There is always a great interest in also competition and trade, so those portfolios

01:01where the EU has a lot of competence, right?

01:05Or where the budget is particularly high, for instance cohesion and agriculture, you

01:11know, which both make up about a third of the whole EU budget.

01:17In the power plays, von der Leyen can also use defense, a new portfolio dedicated to

01:22the military industry, seen as highly relevant due to the war in Ukraine.

01:27Relations with the Mediterranean, linked to migration management and housing, are also

01:32sectors that will now have dedicated commissioners.

01:35Von der Leyen will also have to take into account which political parties support her

01:39when she designates her executive vice presidents.

01:43So one can assume that again now, given that she is from the EPP, from the conservative

01:48party, that you will have a socialist, a liberal, and also potentially a green among

01:54the top positions in the commission.

01:58Another trump card is to secure the participation of more women.

02:02The president is struggling to achieve gender balance, with fewer than 10 women officially

02:06appointed so far.

02:08She will have to work with these governments in the next five years, right?

02:11So it is a bit of a tightrope that she has to walk between putting her foot down and

02:16getting, for instance, the gender balance right, but at the same time, you know, keeping

02:21good working relationships with those governments.

02:24But before the 26 commissioners take their seats for college meetings in the Jean Monnet

02:29room, they'll first have to be approved by the European Parliament, which will arrange

02:33lengthy hearings of the candidates.