Announcing the names of the candidates for the post of European Commissioner, President Ursula von der Leyen has made public her decision to rename the portfolio on employment and social affairs to “Skills, Education, and Social Rights” . The nominee for the post in question is Romanian Member of the European Parliament Ms Roxana Mînzatu, a socio-democrat, who, if confirmed by the Parliament for the post, will assume the title and the responsibility of “European Commissioner for Skills, Education, and Social Rights”.
It is clear that the focus of the new Commissioner is going to be the acute issue of skill shortages currently facing the European Union.
It is to be noted that the candidates for the post of European Commissioner, who are proposed by the Member States and are assigned tasks by the Commission’s President after negotiations, must be auditioned by the different committees of the European Parliament. The hearings will take place from the 4th to the 12th of this coming November. The Parliament cannot reject an individual candidate because the Treaty provides that it has to vote in favour or against the College of European Commissioners as a whole. Since the beginning of the 2000’s however, every time the parliamentarians have expressed strong objections about an individual candidate, the Member State proposing that person had to withdraw his/her candidature and propose another one. As some of the persons proposed might indeed face difficulties in front of the Parliament, it is not sure that the new Commission will begin its works before the beginning of December.
The decision of the President of the Commission to put skills on the top of the institution’s agenda is a very positive evolution for EurEta-level professionals working in Europe. We shall strive to keep you updated on all evolutions.