EU lawmakers grill candidates who will drive policy for the next 5 years

Nominees for immoderate of nan European Union’s apical jobs are facing parliamentary hearings

BRUSSELS -- Nominees for immoderate of nan European Union’s apical jobs look parliamentary hearings connected Monday, arsenic lawmakers commencement to vet would-be commissioners to oversee Europe-wide policies ranging from agriculture to waste and acquisition for nan adjacent 5 years.

Four of nan 26 caller members of nan EU’s progressively powerful executive branch, nan European Commission, will each acquisition a three-hour grilling by elder lawmakers astir intimately linked to their argumentation files. The others will beryllium heard done to Nov. 12.

The commission is nan only EU assemblage pinch nan powerfulness to draught laws which, erstwhile passed by nan European Parliament and nan 27 personnel countries. They screen everything from h2o value to information protection to title aliases migration policy.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, now into her 2nd word starring an institution pinch much than 33,000 employees, assembled her new-look executive successful September, seeking to equilibrium sensitive political, geographical and gender concerns.

The candidates, who are nominated by their nationalist governments, must beryllium their wide competence to grip their portfolio, a committedness to nan European project, independency and bully communications skills.

The reside for nan hearings could beryllium group arsenic soon arsenic Monday. A first campaigner to make his lawsuit will beryllium Glenn Micallef — nan would-be commissioner for youth, civilization and athletics — who hails from Malta, nan EU’s smallest country.

He’s been branded a governmental lightweight, compared to nan erstwhile ministers and premiers nominated to Von der Leyen’s team. Micallef is backed by nan center-left Socialists and Democrats, nan 2nd biggest governmental family successful Parliament.

A concatenation guidance could beryllium group disconnected should he beryllium rejected by nan different governmental groups and nan socialists activity revenge.

After each hearing, an information is made by elder lawmakers down closed doors. Candidates must triumph a two-thirds mostly vote. If they don’t, nan parliamentarians tin inquire further questions successful penning aliases petition a further 90-minute grilling.

The ballot results should stay concealed until nan full proceeding process ends adjacent week. But fixed nan precocious governmental stakes for each statement group, lawmakers aliases parliament officials are almost definite to leak nan news.