Ursula von der Leyen will finally present her new team in mid-September

Would the European executive be ready before the new French government? The presentation of the new team of European commissioners, which was expected on Wednesday 11 September in Brussels (Belgium), will finally take place next Tuesday in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), a sign that the negotiations are dragging on. The casting of the future European executive will be presented to the heads of the political groups of the European Parliament, on the sidelines of the plenary session of MEPs, a spokesperson announced on Tuesday.

The delay is linked to the change of commissioner for Slovenia, which has finally opted for Marta Kos, a former ambassador, whose candidacy must be approved by the Slovenian Parliament this Friday. With this new candidate, European leaders are trying as best they can to deflate the controversy over the lack of women in the team that is being formed. But at this stage, the new college could have around ten women out of 27, without achieving parity.

Re-elected as head of the Commission in July, Ursula von der Leyen must define the profiles and responsibilities of the commissioners, one per Member State, who will make up this new executive from 2024 to 2029. The allocation of the largest portfolios will send a signal as to the weight of each Member State and the broad guidelines that the European Commission intends to promote, three months after the elections of the MEPs.

After the presentation of Ursula von der Leyen’s team, the potential commissioners will have to pass hearings in front of MEPs in the following weeks, and submit to a vote of approval, an institutional arm wrestling match with the European Parliament, which often wants to mark its territory by rejecting certain candidates.