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Ursula von der Leyen’s ambition to achieve gender equality within the European Commission is at risk after some EU member states ignored her request to nominate both male and female candidates.
Ursula von der Leyen, the first female president of the European Commission, was recently re-elected for a second term. She is now forming a new Supervisory Board team. They will play an important role in developing EU climate, technology and industrial policies, negotiating trade agreements, and managing EU legislation and budget.
Analysis of government announcements and media reports shows that 14 men and only five women were nominated for the commissioner position before the August 30 deadline. Seven other countries have yet to announce a candidate, with some expected to again nominate a predominantly male slate. Countries such as Lithuania and Romania appear to have chosen a male candidate, with Belgium and Denmark also hoping to put forward a male candidate. At this stage of the race, only one country – Bulgaria – appears to have a preference for a woman.
In the worst-case scenario, the new European Commission would be made up of just 22% to 26% women, including von der Leyen herself. This would be a significant drop from the previous Commission, established in 2019, which had 44% female representation.
Lina Galvez, chair of the European Parliament’s gender equality committee, urged von der Leyen to stick to her ambitions and continue to push for female candidates. “There is no progress without pressure or pushing boundaries,” Galvez told the Guardian, stressing that this was crucial amid a growing anti-gender movement within the far right and other anti-democratic circles. “Our commitment to gender equality must remain strong.”
Achieving gender equality is further complicated by exceptions that allow the government to reappoint sitting commissioners, many of whom are men, without seeking female candidates.
Several European leaders have said they will not nominate women because there is no legal obligation to do so. Von der Leyen’s call for gender balance has also been met with resistance because the coveted commissioner role is often part of a complex negotiation between political parties and government leaders.
Governments that ignore von der Leyen’s call risk their candidates being given less influential posts. In the past, for example, countries that have disappointed the commission have been given responsibility for multiple languages or cultures rather than the important economic positions that many countries covet.
Sofia Russac of the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels stressed that competition for influence within the European Commission is fierce. “Every commissioner wants power and resources, but not everyone gets them,” Russak said. She suggested von der Leyen could use her influence to force the government to nominate a woman. “Either you send me a woman, or you get a wallet that nobody wants.”
A commission made up mainly of men would be a serious failure for the EU’s gender equality policy. In 2020, the EU set a target of achieving gender equality in all management levels within the Commission by the end of 2024.
According to insiders, the male dominance within the European Commission could also lead to more resistance in the European Parliament, where candidates must appear before a parliamentary committee before the parliament can vote on approval of the entire commission. “Some candidates will have to take responsibility for the lack of diversity, especially when their governments don’t bother to nominate women,” Another EU diplomat said.
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