Ursula von der Leyen presents new composition of European Commission
Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has announced the new composition of the European Commission. Among the 27 members of the Commission, several politicians will hold key positions for Ukraine, Euronews reports.
In particular, Kaja Kallas (Estonia) has been appointed High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania) will become the European Commissioner for Defence and Space. According to von der Leyen, he will focus on the development of the European Defense Union and strengthening defense and industrial capabilities.
Marta Kos (Slovenia) will take up the post of European Commissioner for Enlargement and will work to support Ukraine and help candidate countries prepare for EU accession.
Piotr Serafin (Poland) will become the European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud, and Public Administration, and Christophe Hansen (Luxembourg) will become the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food.
Of particular note is the creation of a new position of European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, which will be held by Dubravka Šuica (Croatia).
The candidacy of each of the European Commissioners, except for von der Leyen, has yet to be approved by the European Parliament.
"It’s expected in late September and October each Commissioner-designate will face an hours-long a grilling by the European Parliament. Typically, at least one commissioner might fail the test (three failed the last go around).," Politico notes.
Key figures for Ukraine in new European Commission
Kaja Kallas - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Estonian politician, Prime Minister of Estonia in 2021-2024, resigned from her post after the announcement of her candidacy as a future member of the European Commission. During her tenure as Prime Minister of Estonia, she was notable for her active political, diplomatic, and military support of Ukraine in its confrontation with Russian aggressors, as well as Ukraine's integration into the European Union and NATO. She was put on the wanted list by the Russian Interior Ministry for desecration of historical memory and hostility to Russia.
Andrius Kubilius - European Commissioner for Defense and Space
Lithuanian politician, twice Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999-2000 and 2008-2012, participated in the Lithuanian liberation movement in the late 1980s. Since 2019, he has been a member of the European Parliament. He has an active pro-Ukrainian stance and has publicly lobbied for the expansion of European military assistance to Ukraine and its integration into the EU and NATO.
Introducing his candidacy, Ursula von der Leyen says that he will work on the development of the European Defense Union and the strengthening of investment and industrial potential
Marta Kos - European Commissioner for Enlargement
Slovenian diplomat and politician, former journalist. Former Ambassador of Slovenia to Germany and Switzerland. In 2022, she ran for the presidency of Slovenia but withdrew her candidacy.
Throughout her career, she has actively promoted the protection of women's rights. In the previous European Commission, this position was held by Oliver Varhelyi from Hungary, who sometimes tried to implement Budapest's skeptical approach to Ukraine's European integration.
Von der Leyen says that Kos will work to support Ukraine and its recovery efforts, as well as to assist the candidate countries in their preparations for accession.
Christophe Hansen - European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food
A politician from Luxembourg, he comes from a farming family. In 2018-2023, he was a member of the European Parliament and later became a member of the Luxembourg Parliament. This position is important for Ukraine given the sensitivity of the issue of agricultural exports to the EU, which has already led to heated disputes with EU member states, in particular Poland.
Elections in the EU
In June, elections to the European Parliament were held, after which the leadership of key European institutions was renewed.
Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as President of the European Commission for a second term. Her candidacy was supported by 401 MEPs. She will continue to lead the European Commission for the next five years.
Roberta Mecola was also re-elected as President of the European Parliament.
