who are the “Spitzenkandidaten”, these contenders for the presidency of the Commission?

In parallel with the elections of MEPs, the political parties of the Union present their candidates to try to replace Ursula von der Leyen, the current President of the Commission.

It is not only the European Parliament that is preparing to be renewed. As is the rule, the leaders of the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU) will meet at the end of the European elections, scheduled for June 6 to 9, to distribute the top jobs, these roles at the highest level of European institutions. Among these appointments is that to a prestigious position : the presidency of the European Commission.

Since 2014, the European Council, which brings together the heads of state and government of the EU, chooses the person who will chair the Commission from among the SpitzenkandidatenTHE “heads of lists” (in German) nominated by the major European parties. All without forgetting to “take into account the results of the elections”as required by the Lisbon Treaty.

On the occasion of the televised debate organized Thursday May 23 between five of the contenders, franceinfo presents the candidates to succeed the current president, Ursula von der Leyen, who herself is applying for a new mandate.

Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout for the European Greens

Like other political groups in the European Parliament, the Greens/EFA nominated several candidates in February to represent them in the race for the presidency of the Commission. This is a duo in which we find in particular the MEP Bas Eickhout, a Dutchman aged 47 currently vice-president of the Committee on the Environment in Parliament. For example, he worked on the agreement reached in January concerning greenhouse gas emissions from trucks and buses.

Also on the Green ticket is Terry Reintke, German MEP since 2014, and co-chair of the environmental group in Parliament. The 37-year-old elected official is also one of the leaders of the Greens for the European elections, which is a bad start for her political family. Known for her fights for women’s rights, she recounted in the chamber in 2017 a sexual assault of which she had been a victim.

Ursula von der Leyen for the European People’s Party

Propelled to the summit of European power in 2019 with the support of Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen has faced several major crises over the past five years, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and multiple corruption investigations targeting European parliamentarians.

As one of the main faces of the EU, the German from 65 years has also become the target of Eurosceptics. Despite the disengagement of her former French supporters, the one who formalized her candidacy on the 19 February remains considered a favorite in the race for his succession.

Nicolas Schmit for the Party of European Socialists

He is among the deans of Spitzenkandidaten. At 70 years, the Luxembourger Nicolas Schmit was appointed at the beginning of March by the European Socialists (PSE), second group in number of seats in the European Parliament, behind the European People’s Party (EPP).

Little known to the general public, he is nevertheless one of the main architects of the Union, emissary of Luxembourg in the negotiations of the treaties of Maastricht (1992) and Nice (2001). He is currently the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, a position which has seen him confront the wave of Covid-19 and, more recently, the influx of Ukrainian refugees into EU member states.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Valérie Hayer and Sandro Gozi for Renew Europe Now

The European Democratic Party (EDP), Renew Europe and the Party of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (Alde) opted for a three-headed candidacy, under the label Renew Europe Now, which corresponds to their parliamentary group. We find therehe MEP Sandro Gozi (PDE), an Italian of 56 years old, former Secretary of State for European Affairs from 2014 to 2018 in his country. A tenacious opponent of Georgia Meloni’s government, he notably campaigned for the establishment of minimum wages in Europe, a directive adopted at the end of 2022 by Parliament.

Another candidate supported by Renew Europe Now, the German Marie-Agnes Strack Zimmermann represents the ALDE. At 66, this member of the Bundestag is a specialist in military issues. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she has regularly called on the German government to supply weapons to kyiv. She is accompanied by a third Spitzenkandidat, French MEP Valérie Hayer, head of the list of the presidential majority in France for the European elections. In Parliament, the elected representative of 38 years has mainly devoted itself to committees on budgets, but also on industry and research.

Walter Baier for the Party of the European Left

At 70 years, Walter Baier represents in this campaign the Party of the European Left (PGE), which he also chairs.

Very concerned about the union of the radical left, the Austrian is not unanimous within his political family. This member of the Communist Party of Austria is supported by his French comrades of the PCF, but not by La France insoumise, nor by the Germans of Die Linke or the Spaniards of Podemos, as the site Tout l’Europe recalls.

Other candidates nominated by the smallest European formations

The five major groups in the European Parliament are not the only ones hoping to place their leaders at the top of the European Commission. The Volt Europa movement, allied in France to the Radical Left Party (PRG) in particular, has designated two MEPs: the German Damian Boeselager, 36 years old, a convinced environmentalist, and the Dutch Sophie in ‘t Veld, 60 years old, who is part of the centrist group Renew Europe.

Even if they are allied with the Greens, the executives of the European Free Alliance, with a regionalist tendency, have designated two own candidates at the end of 2023. This is Maylis Rosberg, a 24-year-old German committed to the rights of minorities , and Raul Romeva, a 53-year-old Catalan autonomist activist. Other candidates include those of Moldovan pastor Valeriu Ghiletchi, 63, supported by the European Christian Political Movement, as well as the names of two representatives of the European Pirate Party: the German Anja Hirschel (42) and the Czech Marcel Kolaja ( 43 years).

Finally, the far-right group Identity and Democracy, to which the National Rally is attached, like the European Conservatives and Reformists, have always been opposed to the principle of designating the Spitzenkandidat. Despite the rise of the far right in Europe over the last decade, and potential chances of becoming President of the Commission, they have not presented a candidate.