Brussels, 10 September 2024
Socialists and democrats issue warning over next Commission mandate
Strengthening the spitzenkandidat process, ensuring gender balance, a strong focus on social rights overseen by a figure with the experience to deliver, and the fair distribution of Executive Vice-President positions reflecting the majority in the European Parliament. These are the expectations of Europe’s progressive family for the composition of the next European Commission.
S&D Group President Iratxe García said:
“Ignoring the spitzenkandidat process, undermining gender balance in the College, placing an employment commissioner whose commitment to social rights is questionable at best, proactively bringing ECR into the heart of the Commission – this would be the recipe to lose progressive support.
“It was the “composition of the next Parliament” that would decide this Commission, the President said before the election. A pro-European majority with a pro-European agreement exists. It must be put into practice now.”
PES President Stefan Löfven said:
“What is being reported about the composition of the next European Commission risks stepping outside the understanding we had with President von der Leyen. As Europe’s socialist family, it is time to issue a clear warning over the next Commission mandate.
“Our support has never been a blank cheque. We have always been clear that the next Commission must meet our expectations, both on policy and principle. The Commission President must ensure that the College is ready to fully honour the political guidelines that we supported.”
According to widespread media reports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stands ready to propose a Commission without socialist spitzenkandidat Nicolas Schmit. This would tear up precedent that has held since this process was introduced in 2014, where common candidates take up a leading role at the EU level in reflection of the democratic mandate they secured at the European election as the representative of their political family.
At the same time, socialists are concerned the next Commission is not adequately reflecting key European values and progressive priorities. Gender balance within the Commission College is expected to take a backwards step; the employment portfolio should be under the competence of a candidate from the progressive family who is fully committed to the La Hulpe Declaration; and a commissioner belonging to the far-right European Conservatives and Reformists could be given an Executive Vice-President position.
Following the European elections, the socialists remained the largest progressive force in the European Parliament. As the second largest bloc – by a significant margin – socialists are central to a pro-European majority alongside President von der Leyen’s European Peoples Party, liberals Renew Europe and the European Greens.
Source – S&D Group
Renew Europe: “The new Commission College must embrace European renewal”
European liberals, democrats and centrists, meeting in Ostend, have this morning adopted a declaration setting out key political priorities for the forthcoming hearings of candidate European Commissioners and the first 100 days of the incoming European Commission.
The ‘Ostend declaration’ details our expectations for parliamentary hearings of prospective candidates, centred on adherence to both the letter and the spirit of the Treaties. We will expect utmost competence from candidates, a firm belief in the further integration of the EU as a political project, independence from national Member States, commitment to reform and Parliamentary scrutiny. We will expect Commissioner-candidates to show pro-active commitment in defending the EU values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the conventions to which the EU is party.
Draghi’s plan: Just do it!
Renew Europe calls on the European Commission to embrace the Draghi report without any delay in order to kick-start European Competitiveness. Our group is deeply committed and willing to turn the Draghi report into concrete proposals.
President of Renew Europe, Valérie Hayer, said:
“European Commissioners are required to put the European interest first; we want visionaries, dreamers and doers. Mrs von der Leyen’s new Commission must embrace European renewal.
This is why we expect the candidates to go beyond the requirements of the European Treaties and prove their commitment to European integration and values, in every sense. There are no job vacancies for populists, nationalists or the uninspired.”
The declaration also sets out the priorities of liberals and democrats for the first one hundred days of the European Commission. Our criteria for the first 100 days policy platform of the new Commission are prosperity, liberty and security. Europe must finally take its destiny into its own hands.
Valérie Hayer commented:
“Europe needs a renewed economic model to prosper and to succeed in this we need bold reform. The incoming European Commission must become a job-making machine. Democratic backsliding in Europe has to end and this demands a European Commission that actively defends liberal democracy, at home and abroad. The fundamental rights and freedoms of Europeans need to be protected and extended, in the face of corruption and attacks on democratic institutions from political extremists.
What needs to be done to enhance European security is clear, but we need a European Commission with the political will to do it. Our first priority remains to speed up and reinforce military support to Ukraine, because their freedom is our security. Peace in Europe is precious and it demands an EU that can protect its citizens. Europe must finally take its destiny into its own hands.”
Note to editors:
Please read the Ostend declaration here.
Source – Renew Europe