Editor
Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is making an attempt to strongarm a number of smaller member states into altering their commissioner nominations to girls in order that she will have the gender-balanced cupboard she promised to arrange.
How Is Malta Responding to Pressure on Commissioner Nomination?
According to a report issued on Tuesday, August twenty seventh by Times of Malta, von der Leyen has requested the Maltese authorities to withdraw the candidacy of Glenn Micallef, who stepped down as head of the prime minister’s secretariat earlier this yr to evolve the nation’s subsequent commissioner.
The sources categorical Valletta is reluctant to concede, however the prime minister’s workplace neither confirmed nor rejected the dialogue happening at this level, stating solely that “the engagement course of is fixed and [von der Leyen] is chatting with member states.”
The confidential Brussels sources additionally said that as an alternative of Micallef, von der Leyen “advised” maintaining Malta’s current EU commissioner within the place for an additional 5 years, Helena Dalli who had been in control of the pretty insignificant equality portfolio.
The Times’ sources additionally revealed that there are not less than two different smaller member states that von der Leyen is making an attempt to stress into altering their minds and dropping their male opponents. She can also be in discussions with the 5 remaining nations who haven’t disclosed their picks but, making an attempt to affect their alternative.
Could Portfolio Assignments Be Used as Leverage in Commissioner Selections?
According to Experts, the issue is that von der Leyen has all of the energy she must strengthen her method towards having a gender-balanced EU Commission, no matter how corrupt and undemocratic it could really feel. While appointing commissioners is as much as every member state, it’s totally as much as the president-elect to allocate the portfolios between them. Those who comply could possibly be awarded extra influential ones (these coping with economic system or safety points, as an illustration), whereas nations who defy her can anticipate to be ‘punished’ with weaker posts.
“Von der Leyen might be swearing us a greater portfolio if we conform to renominate her,” one other Maltese diplomat stated. “If that’s the case, the federal government should resolve: stand by our nominee and look sturdy however get a weaker portfolio. Or swap nominee, look weak however get a stronger transient.”
Von der Leyen’s preoccupation with gender parity may also be the explanation why Italy has not formally referred to as its commissioner decide to date regardless of the selection being so apparent. Virtually everybody in Brussels hopes Italy’s extremely skilled EU Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto to develop into some of the skilled and influential members of the incoming College of Commissioners, however the truth Rome is holding out till the final minute might point out to a deeper dialogue behind the scenes.
