On November 1, the designated EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will take office – and with her the new members of the Commission. However, the timetable for the casting process is vague, with the EU countries currently nominating their candidates.
President-in-Office Donald Tusk has named August 26 as the final date for nominations, but this is not a legally binding deadline. Since, on 12 September, the chairmen of the parliamentary committees are to meet and decide which committee the candidates should be subject to in their area of competence, the list should probably be complete before this date.
According to a spokeswoman for the outgoing EU Commission, these hearings are planned for September and October, and parliamentary circles have announced that the week between September 30 and October 8 is planned. The European Parliament has in the past repeatedly rejected Commissioners and Candidates after hearings.
Austria has already nominated the current neighborhood commissioner Johannes Hahn for a third term. A nomination does not guarantee that von der Leyen will present the candidate to parliament.
The former German Minister of Defense has set herself the goal of filling the college with 50 percent women and men each. However, in view of the previous nominations, there are doubts.
