Vestager denounces EU capitals' 'lack of efforts' in nominating women Commissioners

03.09.2024 - 04:29 / euronews.com / European Commission

Outgoing European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has denounced EU governments for undermining Ursula von der Leyen's efforts to appoint a gender-balanced 'college' of Commissioners responsible for steering the EU's powerful executive.

Capitals have flouted von der Leyen's explicit request for both a male and female candidate to form part of her next executive, in order to provide her leeway in striking the right gender balance.

"Unfortunately it's a de-masking of the lack of efforts when it comes to equal opportunities and gender balance," Vestager, who has built a reputation for herself as a heavyweight over her decade as European Commissioner, told Euronews in an interview on Monday.

She spoke hours after the final Commissioner nomination came in from Belgium, which has put forth foreign minister Hadja Lahbib.

"Ursula von der Leyen asked a completely legitimate thing: give me two candidates, a man and a woman, then I will compose my Commission so it's gender-balanced and so that people have the competencies needed," Vestager added. "I think it's really a pity that member states do not follow through."

Von der Leyen made her request for two names, representing both genders, to capitals shortly after her re-election as Commission chief was confirmed in July.

Of the 25 member states that had been asked to put forth candidates, only one country - Bulgaria - has heeded von der Leyen's request by nominating two hopefuls.

Just eight of those countries have put forth female candidates, meaning that only ten (37%) of the names pencilled in to form the next executive are women. They include von der Leyen herself, who represents Germany as president, and Estonia's Kaja Kallas, nominated by EU leaders back in June to become the next EU High Representative for Foreign Policy.

Von der Leyen is expected to hand out policy portfolios to the candidates over the coming weeks. They will then have to undergo a hearing before the European Parliament as well as a confirmation vote before they can be installed in their respective roles.

Von der Leyen is reportedly making last-ditch efforts to convince some member states to switch their male nominees for women, offering a more attractive policy portfolio for those that abide by that request. Romania became the first country to switch its nominee on Monday, fielding MEP Roxana Mînzatu and retracting Victor Negrescu.

Vestager, who has served as Denmark's EU Commissioner for two consecutive five-year terms, has built a reputation as Brussels' antitrust tsar, slapping hefty fines on the world’s biggest companies for abusing their market dominance.

She has also become a thorn in Big Tech's side, helping spearhead the bloc's ground-breaking digital rulebook - the Digital Services Act -