Strengthening the spitzenkandidat process, ensuring gender balance, a strong focus on social rights overseen by a figure with the experience to deliver, and the fair distribution of Executive Vice President positions reflecting the majority in the European Parliament. These are the expectations of Europe’s progressive family for the composition of the next European Commission.
If these expectations are not met, the leaders of the Party of the European Socialists (PES) and the Socialists and Democrats Group (S&D) in the European Parliament warn it will be very difficult, even impossible, to support the commissioners presented by Ursula von der Leyen.
PES President Stefan Löfven said:
“What is being reported about the composition of the next European Commission risks stepping outside the understanding we had with President von der Leyen. As Europe’s socialist family, it is time to issue a clear warning over the next Commission mandate.
“Our support has never been a blank cheque. We have always been clear that the next Commission must meet our expectations, both on policy and principle. The Commission President must ensure that the College is ready to fully honour the political guidelines that we supported.”
S&D Group President Iratxe García said:
“Ignoring the spitzenkandidat process, undermining gender balance in the College, placing an employment commissioner whose commitment to social rights is questionable at best, proactively bringing ECR into the heart of the Commission – this would be the recipe to lose progressive support.
“It was the “composition of the next Parliament” that would decide this Commission, the President said before the election. A pro-European majority with a pro-European agreement exists. It must be put into practice now.”
According to widespread media reports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stands ready to propose a Commission without socialist spitzenkandidat Nicolas Schmit. This would tear up precedent that has held since this process was introduced in 2014, where common candidates take up a leading role at the EU level in reflection of the democratic mandate they secured at the European election as the representative of their political family.
At the same time, socialists are concerned the next Commission is not adequately reflecting key European values and progressive priorities. Gender balance within the Commission College is expected to take a backwards step; the employment portfolio should be under the competence of a candidate from the progressive family who is fully committed to the La Hulpe Declaration; and a commissioner belonging to the far-right European Conservatives and Reformists could be given an Executive Vice-President position.
Following the European elections, the socialists remained the largest progressive force in the European Parliament. As the second largest bloc – by a significant margin – socialists are central to a pro-European majority alongside President von der Leyen’s European Peoples Party, liberals Renew Europe and the European Greens.
