Amidst global geopolitical turmoil, the European Commission of Ursula von der Leyen officially took office on December 1 with the President pledging that over the next five years the new college of Commissioners will work to make Europe stronger, safer and fairer as it addresses the key priorities for the bloc’s future.
The new Commission, consisting of 27 members, was formally approved by the European Parliament on November 27 after a debate with von der Leyen in Strasbourg. In the last weeks, MEPs have scrutinized every Member of this College during the Commissioner hearings.
Re-elected for a second mandate in July, von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in her speech that while Europe’s global share of patent applications is on par with the U.S. and China, only one-third of these are commercially exploited. “We are roughly as good as the U.S. at creating start-ups. But when it comes to scale-ups, we are doing much worse than our competitors. We have to close that gap. So we will put research and innovation, science and technology at the heart of our economy,” she said. “We need to make it easier to grow in Europe. For this and many more reasons the first-ever Commissioner for Start-Ups, Research and Innovation will be Ekaterina Zaharieva,” von der Leyen said, referring to the Commissioner from Bulgaria.
Turning to digital tech, she said for Europe to be competitive, the 27-country bloc must be home to the next wave of frontier technologies. Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen from Finland is tasked with ensuring Europe can use digital technologies to boost its prosperity, to unleash innovation and to help keep people safer, ensuring that Europe’s tech sovereignty is built right here in Europe.
Decarbonisation and competitiveness
Almost five years ago, von der Leyen launched the European Green Deal – the EU’s growth strategy and roadmap to net zero. However, unending waves of fresh climate and industrial regulations have sparked criticism over the EU’s climate transition policies. Von der Leyen said on November 27 that the EU “must and will stay the course on the goals of the European Green Deal. But if we want to be successful in this transition, we must be more agile and better accompany people and business along the way. And we need to play to our traditional strengths – our industries and SMEs, our innovators and our workers. This is why we will put forward the Clean Industrial Deal within the first 100 days of the mandate. This will involve the entire College. And, we will have a team working hand in hand to coordinate our proposal.”
After COP29, leading the road to net-zero
On the environment, First Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera Rodríguez from Spain will be in charge for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition while another Executive VP Stéphane Séjourné from France is tasked with bringing the industry and internal market dimensions together amid challenges such as rising energy prices and competition from China.
Former Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who was the EU’s key negotiator at COP29 in Baku, is already leading the road to net-zero and clean growth. “Together, they will ensure that we tackle the biggest challenges facing our companies. And we know that the most prominent of these is high energy prices. We have done a lot to respond to Russia’s energy blackmail and the high inflation that followed,” von der Leyen said.
“But the price of energy has to go down further. And this is what Dan Jørgensen will be working on, building on his previous experience. To bring down costs for households and companies. To invest in clean energy. And to replace Russian LNG (liquified natural gas) imports. It is high time to make that happen. And I know this House will support us in this,” she added.
Greece’s Apostolos Tzitzikostas will be in charge of transport and tourism. The Commission President said she decided to convene a Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Car Industry in Europe to bring together all stakeholders around the table to listen to each other and to design solutions together as this industry goes through a deep and disruptive transition.
Handling EU trade challenges
Von der Leyen said Europe needs to reinforce its economic security. “We know that overdependencies can quickly turn into vulnerabilities. This is why stable and secure supply chains are so vital. Critical raw materials are the most obvious example. The demand for critical minerals for the clean transition has already doubled during the last mandate, and it could triple by the end of the next one. So we need free and fair trade to diversify our suppliers. There is no one better suited to do this than Maroš Šefčovič. He will deliver more partnerships – for trade and investments – and also to protect our economic security against the greatest risks to our strategic interests and sovereignty. And we must go further,” von der Leyen said. Šefčovič, who has served under three Commission Presidents, including von der Leyen’s last term, brings a lot of experience to the College.
The Commission said, former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, who released on October 30 a report on enhancing Europe’s civilian and defense preparedness and readiness, called for a systematic review of all the EU’s dependencies. “To increase our resilience, he has laid out a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. This is why I have asked Hadja Lahbib (from Belgium) to work on crisis response and preparedness. Her work will be supported by HERA (Health Emergency Preparedness and Response). Olivér Várhelyi (from Hungary, former Enlargement Commissioner) will lead our work on biotechnologies and his first priority will be the Critical Medicines Act. And Jessika Roswall (from Sweden) will work on developing a competitive circular economy. This is crucial to give us more independence. We have paid the price for putting our future in the hands of a single supplier. And we will not make the same mistake again. European sovereignty is not for sale,” von der Leyen said.
Taking over from Josep Borrel, Estonia’s former Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will take the lead as the EU’s chief diplomat. The Commission President said Europe has a duty to strengthen its security and human rights. “They are more important than ever. And they will continue to be the linchpin of our external action. This will need a lot of work and tireless leadership. I know, we can count on Kaja Kallas as our High Representative and Vice-President. She is the right person at the right time for Europe’s diplomacy and interests in the world,” von der Leyen said.
To work on sustainable development, international partnerships and investments through the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, von der Leyen has chosen Jozef Síkela from the Czech Republic.
Croatia’s Dubravka Šuica will be the first ever Commissioner for the Mediterranean. “We share the same shores, the same challenges and the same opportunities. And we know that we share the same destiny,” von der Leyen said.
Boosting European defense
Amidst the ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and parts of Africa and Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Lithuania’s Andrius Kubilius will oversee the challenging task of enhancing Europe’s defense capabilities in today’s ever more dangerous world. “War is raging on Europe’s borders. And we must be ready for what lies ahead – working hand-in-hand with NATO. We know that we have to do a lot more together as Europeans. Just one figure. Russia is spending up to 9 percent of its GDP on defense. Europe is spending on average 1.9 percent. There is something wrong in this equation. Our defense spending must increase,” von der Leyen said. “We need a single market for defense. We need to strengthen the defense industrial base. We need to improve our military mobility. And we need common European projects on defense. And this is why Andrius Kubilus will be the first European Commissioner for Defense. We have no time to waste. And we must be as ambitious as the threats are serious,” she added.
Both former prime ministers from the Baltic states, Kubilus and Kallas, are well aware of the challenges the EU faces from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The EU will come forward with a White Paper on the Future of European Defense in the first 100 days. “I can assure you that Europe’s security will always be this Commission’s priority,” she said.
Regarding EU Enlargement, the Commission President argued that the dream of Europe extends to the Western Balkans, to Ukraine, to Moldova and beyond, noting that Marta Kos from Slovakia has vast experience and vision of a continent united by democracy, the rule of law and respect of fundamental freedoms.”
Innovation, decarbonization and security are the three pillars of the EU’s competitiveness compass, von de Leyen said. “We must be much more focused on investing in our priorities. This is why I have put Piotr Serafin in charge of shaping our next MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework). He is a skilled negotiator. He will work with the Parliament and the Council, to deliver a simpler, more focused and more responsive budget,” she said, adding, “And he will work to ensure that Europe has the means to deliver on its ambitions.”
She noted that she entrusted Maria Luís Albuquerque from Portugal with the task of a proposed European Savings and Investments Union.
The Commission President said the EU needs to streamline its rules to reduce the burden on businesses. “And we need to give legal certainty about what we expect from them. And this is why I have asked one of our most experienced Commissioners, Valdis Dombrovskis, to take the lead on simplification and implementation. He will also be responsible for boosting Europe’s economy and productivity,” she said. Latvian politician Dombrovskis is returning for his third term as EU commissioner.
Regarding migration, the Commission President said Europe needs stricter rules but also stronger guarantees for individual rights. “We will work on opening up legal pathways. This approach is now at the core of the Pact on Migration and Asylum,” she said, adding, “Magnus Brunner (from Austria) is the right person to preserve this balance. And he will work every single day to secure our external borders and bolster our internal security.”
