European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has handed out the top posts in her team. Her second Commission has a different structure to the first. There are now two levels of command: executive vice-presidents and commissioners. The previous third tier of vice-presidents is now gone. Czech Industry Minister Jozef Síkela (STAN) failed to win the expected post of EU Energy Commissioner.
"Six executive vice-presidents: four women and two men. Three from Member States that joined before the fall of the Iron Curtain. And three from Member States that joined after European unification. From the Baltics, the Nordic countries and Eastern Europe. Ministers and Prime Ministers. Different experiences. But they all have one common goal - and that is to strengthen Europe. So let me introduce them." said von der Leyen:
"Teresa Ribera (Spain) will be Executive Vice President for Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition. She will also be responsible for competition policy. She will lead the work to ensure that Europe stays on track to achieve its goals set out in the Green Deal for Europe. And to decarbonise and industrialise our economy at the same time.
Henna Virkkunen (Finland) will be Executive Vice-President for Technical Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. She will also be responsible for the Digital and Border Technologies portfolio. I will ask Henna to deal with internal and external aspects of security. But also to strengthen the foundations of our democracy, such as the rule of law, and to protect it wherever it is challenged.
Stéphane Séjourné (France) will be Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy. He will also be responsible for the Industry, SMEs and Single Market portfolio. He will lead work to create the conditions for our businesses to prosper - from investment and innovation to economic stability and trade and economic security.
As you already know, our High Representative and Vice-President will be Kaja Kallasová (Estonia). We are in a time of geostrategic competition and instability. Our foreign and security policy must be designed with this reality in mind and be more in line with our own interests. I know that I can rely on it to bring it all together - and to be a bridge between our internal and external policies. And it will ensure that we remain a geopolitical commission.
I'm also very happy to be able to Roxana Mînzatu (Romania) To be entrusted with the role of Executive Vice President for People, Skills and Preparedness. She will be responsible for skills, education and culture, quality jobs and social rights. These all fall under the demography area. In particular, Roxana will lead the Skills Union and the European Pillar of Social Rights. She will focus on those areas that are key to uniting our society.
Raffaele Fitto (Italy) will be Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reform. He will be responsible for the portfolio dealing with cohesion policy, regional development and cities. We will draw on his extensive experience to help us modernise and strengthen our cohesion, investment and growth policies.
This is a team of Executive Vice-Presidents who will work hand in hand with all Commissioners.
And I would like to introduce them to you now:
I'll start with Maroš Šefčovič (Slovakia)to whom I am very happy to dedicate two roles. He will be Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security. This is a new portfolio which also includes customs policy. I have also entrusted him with a second role: Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency. In this second role, he will report directly to me.
Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia) will also have a dual role. He will be Commissioner for the economy and productivity. At the same time, I have given him the role of Commissioner for Implementation and Simplification. He will report directly to me in this part of his work.
Dubravka Šuic (Croatia) will be Commissioner for the Mediterranean. I am entrusting her with this new role. She will also be responsible for the wider southern neighbourhood. She will work closely with Kaja Kallas - and many other Commissioners - to develop our common interests with the region.
Olivér Várhelyi (Hungary) will be Commissioner for Animal Health and Welfare. He will be responsible for building the European Health Union and for continuing work on cancer control and health prevention.
Wopke Hoekstra (Netherlands) will be Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Net Growth. He will continue to work on implementation and adaptation, climate diplomacy and decarbonisation. And he will also be responsible for taxation.
Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania) will be Commissioner for Defence and Space. He will work to develop the European Defence Union and to strengthen our investment and industrial capacity.
Marta Kosova (Slovenia), it should be noted that the Slovenian government has nominated Marta Kosova as a member of the College. The nomination procedure, which includes consultation of the national Parliament with a view to issuing a non-binding opinion, is ongoing. Mrs Kos will be Commissioner for Enlargement - she will also be responsible for our eastern neighbourhood. She will work to support Ukraine - and continue to work on reconstruction and support candidate countries as they prepare for accession.
Jozef Síkela (Czech Republic) will be Commissioner for International Partnerships. He will lead the work on Global Gateway - and ensure we develop mutually beneficial partnerships that invest in our shared future.
The Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans will be Costas Kadis (Cyprus). I am counting on his experience to help me build a resilient, competitive and sustainable industry and to introduce the first European Ocean Pact.
Maria Luís Albuquerque (Portugal) will be Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investment Union. She will be essential to strengthen and complete our Capital Markets Union and to ensure that private investment drives our productivity and innovation.
Hadja Lahbib (Belgium) will be Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management. This is another new portfolio that will deal with resilience, preparedness and civil protection. She will be responsible for leading our efforts in crisis management and humanitarian aid.
The Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration will be Magnus Brunner (Austria). It will focus on implementing the Asylum and Migration Pact, of course, but also on strengthening our borders and developing a new internal security strategy.
Jessika Roswall (Sweden) will be Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and Competitive Circular Economy. She will have the important task of helping to protect our environment and bring nature into balance. She will help to develop a more circular and competitive economy. And it will lead the work on water resilience, which is a big priority for the coming years.
Piotr Serafin (Poland) will be Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration. He will report directly to me and, in particular, he will focus on preparing the next long-term budget and ensuring that we have a modern institution that delivers for Europeans.
The Commissioner for Energy and Housing will be Dan Jørgensen (Denmark). His work will help lower energy prices, invest in clean energy and ensure we reduce our dependence. He will be the first ever Housing Commissioner - dealing with everything from energy efficiency to investment and construction.
Ekaterina Zacharieva (Bulgaria) will be Commissioner for Research and Innovation. We must put research and innovation, science and technology at the heart of our economy. She will help ensure that we invest more and focus our spending on strategic priorities and on pioneering innovation.
Michael McGrath (Ireland) will be Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law. I have given him responsibility for the further development of the European Democracy Shield. He will also lead our work on the rule of law, the fight against corruption and consumer protection.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Greece) will be Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. He is responsible for the mobility of goods and people. This is a vital sector for our competitiveness, but also for our transitions, connecting people and supporting local economies.
Christophe Hansen (Luxembourg) will be Commissioner for Agriculture and Food. His task will be to implement the report and recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue. And on the basis of the strategic dialogue, he will develop a vision for agriculture and food in the first 100 days of his mandate.
Glenn Micallef (Malta) will be Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Culture, Youth and Sport. Intergenerational justice is a cross-cutting theme. It concerns us all - and young people in particular. It is about the right balance in society. And I have appointed Glenn to oversee it."
"The key message is that wherever we come from and whatever our job title, we all need to work together. We will have open debates. We will all be independent in thought and action. And we will all participate in what we agree on. That is the team I am putting forward today.
On this basis, the European Parliament may proceed to the formal procedure for the appointment of the new College, once it has received a formal letter from the Council in agreement with the President of the Commission. Always in accordance with its Rules of Procedure," von der Leyen concluded.
Europa.eu/ gnews - RoZ_07
English 
Czech