Von der Leyen names new European Commission focused on security, growth and climate change

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday appointed a new team to run the European Union’s most important institution for the next five years, focusing on tackling the region’s security, competitiveness and economic growth.

Lithuanian Andrius Kubilius will become the EU’s first defence commissioner, a new role aimed at strengthening Europe’s military production potential in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine, on the bloc’s eastern flank.

Spain’s Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera will be the new head of the country’s antitrust authority, tasked with curbing the influence of big tech companies and ensuring the EU meets its environmental goals.

“The entire college (Commission) is committed to competitiveness,” von der Leyen told a news conference, with the aim of “building a competitive, decarbonised and circular economy, with a just transition for all.”

Climate change “is the main backdrop to everything we do,” von der Leyen said.

However, compared to her first five-year term, “the topic of security, triggered by the Russian war in Ukraine, but also the topic of competitiveness, had … a much greater impact,” she added.

The European Commission has the power to propose new EU laws, block corporate mergers and sign free trade agreements.

All candidates will be interviewed by MEPs, who will have to sign their nomination.

Each of the 27 Member States will have one seat on the Commission, comparable to the role of a minister in government, although its political weight will vary significantly depending on the responsibilities.

The EU’s two largest countries hold the top positions in the Commission – von der Leyen is German, while the outgoing French foreign minister, Stephane Sejourne, will be responsible for the key portfolio of industrial strategy.

Polish candidate Piotr Serafin has been appointed to an important position overseeing the EU budget.

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Ribera, who is seen as one of Europe’s most ambitious climate change decision-makers, could step up efforts by outgoing Antitrust Commission chief Margrethe Vestager to crack down on big tech companies.

It will also work to ensure that the EU single market is not distorted by companies benefiting from foreign subsidies.

Key jobs also went to smaller Member States.

Estonia’s Kaja Kallas will be in charge of foreign policy. She has used her position as Estonia’s prime minister to become one of the most vocal critics of neighboring Russia among European leaders—and one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine’s bid for EU and NATO membership.

Maros Sefcovic from Slovakia will oversee trade policy, Wopke Hoekstra from the Netherlands will handle climate policy, Valdis Dombrovskis from Latvia will take over the economy portfolio and Henna Virkkunen from Finland will oversee technological sovereignty, security and democracy.

All the commissioners will report to von der Leyen, who was given a second term as EU head of government by member states this summer after her political camp won the most votes in the European Parliament elections.

The new European Commission is expected to take office at the end of the year, meaning one of its first tasks will be to review the results of the US presidential election in November.

A second Donald Trump presidency could radically change Western unity in support of Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, and also transform EU-US trade relations.

The Commission team von der Leyen proposed on Tuesday includes 11 women, far below the gender balance she had been aiming for. She said the imbalance was even worse before she negotiated with member states, so they proposed more women for the posts.

Each new commissioner will face a hearing in the European Parliament, expected in the coming weeks, where EU lawmakers will try to extract promises from the candidates about what they will do if given the job.

The European Parliament may block the nominations for commissioners, with Hungarian candidate Oliver Varhelyi among the candidates, and EU officials expect pressure to be brought to bear during his hearing.

There was some drama in the Commission’s composition on Monday when French President Emmanuel Macron, keen to secure a broad portfolio, chose Séjourne as his new candidate instead of incumbent Thierry Breton, who has repeatedly clashed with von der Leyen.

(Reporting by Marine Strauss, Sudip Kar-Gupta, Jan Strupczewski, Foo Yun Chee, Andrew Gray, Phil Blenkinsop, Kate Abnett in Brussels, Bart Meijer in Amsterdam, Tassilo Hummel in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Christina Fincher and Sharon Singleton)