The MEPs have established the calendar of hearings of the commissioners designated for Ursula von der Leyen’s new college. The candidates’ ‘exams’ will be held from Monday 4th to Tuesday 12th November. It starts with the Slovakian Maros Sefcovic and the Maltese Glen Micaleff at 2.30pm on 4 November and ends with the vice-presidents in pectore Teresa Ribera and Henna Virkkunen on 12 November at 6.30pm. On the morning of November 12th, at 9 am, it will be the turn of the Italian candidate, Raffaele Fitto.
The controversy
Socialists and Greens have denounced that in the vote to approve the calendar, which took place in the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, which brings together the President of the Chamber and the leaders of all the political groups, the EPP has once again allied itself with the radical right not only of the Reformists and Conservatives (ECR) of Giorgia Meloni, but also of the Patriots of Europe of Orban, Salvini and Le Pen, and even of the right of the AfD Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN). “We know who is violating the sanitary cordon. It’s not us. Those who have the majority with the far right are breaking it”, denounced the president of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament, Iratxe Garcia Perez, according to whom ” this situation will create many problems for the entire process.”
The von der Leyen majority is already split: the People’s Party allies themselves with the far right
“It’s a procedural vote”, downplayed the co-president of the Ecr group in the European Parliament, Nicola Procaccini, MEP of the Brothers of Italy. The vote, he explained. era served to approve “the move of Virkkunen – who would be the popular vice president – as the last of all vice presidents and, therefore, of all commissioners. This is a proposal made by the EPP to assume general responsibility for the progress of hearings”. For Procaccini “it was a noble gesture because it is clear that no one wants to be the last, because the last risks suffering the tensions that arose during the other hearings”.
Here is the complete calendar
Monday 4 November
Maros Sefcovic (Slovakia, non-attached) in the International Trade and Constitutional Affairs commissions (from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm);
Glen Micaleff (Malta, S&d) in the Culture Committee (from 2.30pm to 5.30pm); Christophe Hansen (Luxembourg, EPP) in the Agriculture Committee (from 6.30pm to 9.30pm) and Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Greece, EPP) in the Transport Committee (from 6.30pm to 9.30pm)
Tuesday 5 November
The first round from 9 to 12 with Michael McGrath (Ireland, Renew) in the Civil Liberties, Internal Market, and Legal Commissions; and Ekaterina Zaharieva (Bulgaria, S&d) in the Industry Committee. From 2.30pm to 5.30pm it will be the turn of Dan Jorgensen (Denmark, S&D) in the Industry and Employment commissions and Dubravka Suica (Croatia, EPP) in the Foreign Affairs commission. From 6.30pm to 9.30pm Jessika Roswall (Sweden, EPP) in the Environment Committee and Magnus Brunner (Austria, EPP) in the Civil Liberties Committee.
Wednesday 6 November
From 9 to 12, Hadja Lahbib (Belgium, Renew) in the Development, Women’s and Gender Rights, Civil Liberties and Environment commissions; Maria Lui’s Albuquerque (Portugal, EPP) in the Economic Affairs Committee. From 2.30pm to 5.30pm, commissioners Costas Kadis (Cyprus, EPP) in the Fisheries commission and Jozef Sikela (Czech Republic, EPP) in the Development commission. From 6.30pm to 9.30pm Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania, EPP) in the Foreign Affairs and Industry commissions and Oliver Varhelyi (Hungary, independent) in the Environment and Agriculture commissions.
Thursday 7 November
from 9 to 12, Wopke Hoekstra (Netherlands, EPP) in the Environment, Industry and Economic Affairs committees; Marta Kos (Slovenia, Renew) in the Foreign Affairs commission. Closing the first week of hearings (from 2.30pm to 5.30pm) will be Piotr Serafin (Poland, EPP) in the Budgets and Budget Control commissions and Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia, EPP) in the Economic Affairs and Legal Affairs commissions.
Tuesday 12 November
Hearings of the six designated vice presidents will be held. The first (from 9 to 12) will be Raffaele Fitto (Italy, Ecr) in the Regional Affairs commission and Kaja Kallas (Estonia, Renew) in the Foreign Affairs commission. Then, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm, Roxana Minzatu (Romania, S&d) in the Employment and Culture commissions; Stéphane Séjourné (France, Renew) in the Industry, Internal Market, Environment and Economic Affairs committees. Finally, from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, Teresa Ribera (Spain, S&D) in the Environment, Economic Affairs and Industry commissions and Henna Virkkunen (Finland, EPP) in the Industry and Internal Market commissions will close the proceedings.