New EU Executive Committee, Talks Begin with New Commissioners

European elections were held in June 2024, but the new Commission has not yet taken office. Having identified 26 candidates for EU commissioners after much negotiation and tension, the negotiations that will lead to the formalization of the new European Commission began on November 4.

Interviews for commissioner candidates will take place from November 4 to 8, and on November 12 it will be the turn of the six candidates for executive vice president: Spaniard Teresa Ribera, Finn Henna Virkkunen, Frenchman Stéphane Sejourné, Estonian Kaja Kallas, Romanian Roxana Minzatu, and Italian Raffale Fitto.

Among the 26 candidates, fourteen are from the European People’s Party, five from the Liberals, four from the Socialists, one from the ECR Conservatives, one from the Patriots, and one from the Independents.

Interviews last three hours and are conducted by parliamentary committees that focus on the skills that the individual candidate should possess. Slovakian Maros Sefcovic, a candidate for trade and economic security commissioner, and Maltese Glenn Micallef on culture will be the first to be questioned.

Affirmative votes of 2/3 of the group coordinators on the panels are required to pass the interview. If unsuccessful, there will be a new audition. It was previously determined that the candidates did not have a conflict of interest. Three candidates were rejected at the time of European Commission formation in 2020: Romanian Rovana Plumb, Frenchwoman Sylvie Goulart, and Hungarian László Trócsányi. In these cases, the reference country suggests a new name.