The new College of Commissioners led by Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker has been approved by the European Parliament (EP) during the plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday 22nd October. With 423 votes in favour, 209 against and 67 abstentions, the new Commission will take up office on 1st November.
The vote follows weeks of Parliamentary committee hearings of the Commissioners-designate and whilst most candidates were approved without difficulty, a few hearings proved to be more controversial. Lord Jonathan Hill, Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and capital markets, was recalled for a second hearing. Miguel Arias Cañete, Spanish Commissioner for Energy Union, was accused of having close ties with the oil industry.
The real threat of delaying the process, however, came as Alenka Bratušek, the Slovenian candidate for a senior Energy Union Vice-President role, was rejected by MEPs and replaced by Violeta Bulc. Only last week, Juncker announced two major portfolio changes. Slovenia is now in charge of the transport portfolio while Maroš ŠefÄoviÄ of Slovakia moved to energy union and was upgraded to Vice-President.
Before the vote took place, the President-elect promised more portfolio changes in order to sooth MEP concerns, and minor changes concern the issues of medicines, citizenship, sustainability and space.
Juncker proposed a new structure for the Commission, including the introduction of a First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, who also takes charge of the new Better Regulation portfolio.
Public Affairs practitioners from both London and Brussels share their views on the result of the Parliament’s vote.
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We predict a busy time ahead, in particular, over the next 5 years for Frans Timmermans, Juncker’s Vice-President, who is responsible for Better Regulation and Inter-Institutional Relations given both his boss’s frank reassertion of the ‘’community method’’ to regulate EU decision-making internally and the fact that, externally, public affairs professionals are now presented with a newfangled conduit along which to channel influence at the highest level in Brussels. Eliot Edwards, Director of Public Affairs, Aspect Consulting |
The performance Jean-Claude Juncker put in at parliament on Wednesday was marked not only by his usual deadpan wit but also by a surprising degree of candour when he presented his College of Commissioners and their programme for election; endorsing them to the house as ‘’the last chance saloon for the Commission to bring Europe closer to its citizens.’’ Such candour, however tongue in cheek, has to be welcomed. All eyes will surely then be back on Juncker in December for more forthcoming details about the €330 billion Investment Programme for Growth and Jobs which he said was ‘’so close to his heart.’’
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Jayne Almond, EU Policy Adviser, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) |
Team Juncker’s been through a lot in eight weeks but is now within touching distance of the finish line thanks to the vote of approval from the ‘super Grand Coalition’. Having demanded second hearings, scalps, portfolio reshuffles and new policy commitments, the EPP-S&D-ALDE axis eventually carried the slate through, but even this saw dissident voices. The vote demonstrates the fragmentation of this new Parliament. With splits across the ECR (including UK Conservatives), and united opposition amongst the anti-establishment groups, the potential for unlikely alliances makes dossier-specific influencing unpredictable. Understanding the dynamics and pressure points within the political groups and across national delegations is more important than ever.
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Dr James Watson, Chief Executive Officer, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) |
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President Juncker has introduced structural changes to the Commission. The new key position of Vice-President for the Energy Union has had a troubled birth, with the withdrawal of Slovenian candidate Alenka Bratušek following an unconvincing hearing. Her replacement Maroš ŠefÄoviÄ, however, is a seasoned politician who it appears will establish the authority and leadership required in such a strategic function. Following his commitment to fight for a stronger target than ‘at least 27%’ renewable energy in Europe by 2030, we are looking forward to working with him over the next 5 years. This sentiment should also help him to achieve the objective for “the EU to become the world number one leader in renewable energies”, as defined by President Juncker.
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Marley Morris, Senior Researcher, Counterpoint |
The election of the Juncker Commission signalled one of the first illustrations of the political balance in the new European Parliament. The majority ‘grand coalition’, comprised of the EPP, the S&D, and ALDE, will form the backbone of support for the Commission’s agenda, alongside parts of the ECR group. The increase in populist MEPs appears to have had minimal effect so far in Brussels: the populists are marginalised in the Parliament and will have no direct influence in the Commission, though the appointment of Frans Timmermans as First Vice President indicates a reprioritisation of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. The stage is set for some major political battles to come, particularly given the careful balance needed between the competing priorities of the Parliament and the Council of Ministers and the increased politicisation of the new Commission.Party Positions and Reactions
Three out of four of the Parliament’s leading groups, the European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists & Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), voted in favour of the new Commission. However, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), led by British Syed Kamall MEP, did “not join this cosy consensus” and abstained. Kamall explained that “the structure of the new commission was positive and he liked many of the priorities that it has been set, but that there are some new Commissioners that have been below par.”
Joseph Daul, the President of the EPP, the leading centre-right party, said his party “will offer its full support in carrying out and implementing President Juncker’s programme. I look forward to working with the EPP Commissioners and the entire Juncker Commission in the coming years.”The ALDE group also gave their support, but only after the announcement by Juncker that Hungarian Commissioner Navracsics would lose "citizenship" as part of his portfolio and that he will be placed under supervision of a Vice President.
The S&D Group president Gianni Pittella congratulated Juncker on the result and said: "Our Group has given strong input to this new Commission and we insist on close cooperation with the EP you have committed yourself to.”The European Green Party did not support the vote on Juncker’s Commission. Co-Chair Monica Frassoni said: “We consider the overall composition and the allocation of key-portfolios by Mr Juncker to be more than questionable. In spite of the positive assessment given to many of the new commissioners, Greens across Europe have had misgivings, and for instance with Arias Cañete a specific concern.