"One male and one female candidates" for European commissioners

August 30 is the deadline by which each EU member state must nominate two candidates for the post of European commissioner in the next EU executive. Re-confirmed last week for a second term as president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said in a letter sent on Thursday that she wants each country to nominate one man and one woman to fill the post of commissioner.

Each EU country has one member in the College of European Commissioners, which forms the political leadership of the Brussels executive for the five-year term. The aim is to have parity between men and women in the college of commissioners, stressed Ursula von der Leyen.

The German politician explained that the only exception is when an incumbent commissioner remains in the next executive. Several European commissioners would like to stay on in the next commission: for example, the Greek Margaritis Schinas, Belgium's Didier Reynders or Dutchman Wopke Hoekstra.

The latter is officially supported by the Dutch government. In some countries, such as Belgium and France, the situation is complicated by the absence of a fully-fledged government. Ursula von der Leyen wants to start interviewing candidates as early as mid-August.

Each of the short-listed candidates will be heard by the European Parliament's specialized committees, after which the whole commission will have to be put to a vote by MEPs.

Translated by: Radu Matei