Von der Leyen's new European Commission set to begin work on December 1 With fresh team

The new European Commission, under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen, is set to welcome a fresh team of EU representatives, with key positions assigned to leaders from Estonia, Lithuania, and other member states.

Estonia’s Kaja Kallas will assume the role of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, while Lithuania’s Andrius Kubilius will become the Defence Minister.

The final approval of the Commission’s composition is scheduled for 27 November, with its work set to commence on 1 December.

“The approval of the new European Commission’s composition will take place on November 27 during a plenary session in Strasbourg, allowing it to begin its work on December 1,” the European Parliament stated.

Current EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, will step down from his position on December 1.

Notably, European Parliament leaders have struck a deal to approve Ursula von der Leyen’s new European Commission team, allowing the commission to take office on December 1. The agreement, forged by the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists, and the centrist Renew group, represents 56% of the parliament’s 720 seats.

The new Commission, featuring 26 commissioners, will oversee key EU policies including climate action, trade, agriculture, and industry.

However, the approval process faced challenges when the Socialists threatened to block Italy’s vice-president nominee, Raffaele Fitto, due to his ties with the hardline Brothers of Italy party. In retaliation, the EPP threatened to block Spain’s Teresa Ribera, a Socialist nominee for vice-president, accusing her of mishandling flood response in Valencia.

Ribera, Spain’s environment and energy minister, blamed climate change for the floods and called for improved crisis response.

This standoff delayed the approval of all six vice-presidential nominees, including those from Kaja Kallas, Stéphane Séjourné, and Henna Virkkunen. Diplomats expressed frustration over the internal EU squabbling, especially as the bloc faces external challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the looming prospect of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev