The 27 Lieutenants Likely To Serve Under European Commission President

The 27 senior officials likely to lead the EU executive for the next five years have been revealed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced her top team for a second term in office.

These candidates will serve in the EU executive.

After learning that he would not be serving a second term, France’s incumbent Commissioner Thierry Breton quit on September 16 and lashed out at von der Leyen’s “questionable governance.” Breton and von der Leyen have had multiple public disagreements.

Strangely, some saw hopes ran out as von der Leyen tried to accomplish a gender-balanced top team. Slovenia’s last minute change to a female up-and-comer, after insisting it wanted to see top auditor Tomaž Vesel sent to Brussels, has played havoc with domestic politics.

The final program shows various candidates with different backgrounds — beginning with von der Leyen herself, who recently trained as a gynecologist.

Prospective commissioners include three former prime ministers, four former foreign ministers, five ex-finance ministers, and ten one-time MEPs.

The list also includes career diplomats from Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, academics from Cyprus, and journalists from Belgium and Finland.

They now needs to be approved by the European Parliament, and that might prove tricky, not least for those who don’t seem to have much experience.

Those who do make it through will be in charge of key issues, ranging from protecting the environment to supporting Ukraine.

Meanwhile, according to reports, voter numbers have fallen about 10% over fifteen years, and in around one fifth of elections the loser has not accepted the result.

The decline has occurred despite many innovations around the world aimed at making electoral processes more accessible.

While Europe shows improved results than other regions, International IDEA warns that some of the ingredients of a healthy democracy, including civil liberties and access to justice, are under threat.

Europe’s rule of law has seen a declined over five years, according to the report, which examined 221 national elections held in 159 countries between May 2020 and April 2024.

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Many European countries are lagging on freedom of expression and the press, the report said, noting Greece’s struggles with academic freedom and attempts by governments in Italy and Slovakia to pressure the media.

Then again, Europe is coming together increasingly more without any trace of divisions that the continent saw numerous years back.

International IDEA, an intergovernmental organisation that supports democracy worldwide, suggests it’s the prospect of joining the EU that helps some laggard countries to catch up.

Albania, Kosovo and Moldova have progressed in offering access to justice, economic equality and freedom of expression, in the aftermath of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the report said.

Ukraine has also brought in a transparent and merit-based selection for its Constitutional Court and resumed disciplinary proceedings against judges, it added.