Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Bulgaria is the only country that conceded to the request of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to assign a man and a woman to the new European Commission.
How Is Ursula von der Leyen Ensuring Gender Equality?
Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected for a second period in office as President of the European Commission – but all 26 Commissioners are not yet known. EU member states were given time a period to say who they wanted to submit as Commissioner. However, not everyone has accomplished so by the deadline – Belgium, in political unrest after the June elections, remains the last hold-out.
What Are Bulgaria’s Nominations for European Commissioner?
Bulgaria was the only member state to consent to von der Leyen’s request to put forward both a man and a woman, letting her select one; she may also push back on some of the male options, given that she desires to achieve gender balance. Once the final registration is known in mid-September, they’ll be assigned portfolios and present themselves for confirmation from the European Parliament.
Ex-Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva and ex-Ecology Minister Julian Popov were presented as Bulgaria’s two candidates for European Commissioner. The candidacies were concerned late between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev and verified in a post on X by Bulgaria’s EU representation.
That drives Bulgaria the only country to consent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s request to offer both male and female candidates.
Who Are the Newly Announced EU Commissioner Nominees?
Italy’s newly revealed EU Commissioner nominee, Raffaele Fitto, has had a long political occupation that began in Puglia. Born in Maglie in the area of Lecce in 1969 and a graduate in law, he was elected in 1990 as a provincial councillor with the Christian Democratic Party (DC), the first in a series of commands that would take him to Brussels as a MEP (in 1999, 2014 and 2019) and now as a Commissioner.
Denmark has appointed Dan Jørgensen for Ursula von der Leyen’s second team of European Commissioners. The widely anticipated nomination of Jørgensen, a social democrat, was part of a broader cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Jørgensen is not new to Brussels, as he began his political career in 2004 as a member of the European Parliament, a post he held until 2013.