• Green light from EU Parliament to von der Leyen Commission: "New start, an exceptional team"

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27 November 2019The new European Commission, led by former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, was approved by the European Parliament. The team consists of 15 commissioners and 12 commissioners, the largest female representation in the history of the European executive, and includes a 29-year-old, eight confirmed representatives and 19 neophytes.

Climate / The 58-year-old Dutchman Frans Timmermans (Social Democrat, S&D), first vice president of the outgoing Commission, is in charge of the European Green Deal,
among the priorities of the new executive. Former foreign minister, polyglot, had unsuccessfully aimed at the leadership of the Commission. He is one of three executive vice presidents, with Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis.

Competition and digital / Another candidate who has aimed in vain at the presidency of the Commission is the 51-year-old Danish Margrethe Vestager (liberal, Renew Europe), who keeps the wallet for the competition, with whom she has gained a reputation as an intransigent dossier on the Silicon giants Valley and Siemens-Alstom. His position is reinforced with digital, another priority of the executive.

Financial services / Latvian Valdis Dombrovskis (moderates, EPP), 48, vice president of the outgoing Commission in which he was in charge of the euro, will monitor the work to strengthen economic and monetary union and finalize the banking union. Premier from 2009 to 2013, he had implemented austerity measures as part of an international rescue plan and was a proponent of Latvia's membership of the euro zone.

Diplomacy / Spaniard Josep Borrell (S&D), 72, returns to the front row on the European scene, leading EU diplomacy. Former President of the European Parliament (2004-2007), appointed in 2018 Pedro Sanchez's Foreign Minister, the anti-independence Catalan has recently been very active on the Venezuelan dossier and regularly criticizes the Trump government.

Institutional relations / Slovak Maros Sefcovic (S&D), 53, vice-president of the outgoing Energy Commission, will deal with relations with the European Parliament and with national parliaments.

Values ​​and transparency / The Czech Vera Jourova (Liberal, Alde), 55, is an outgoing commissioner for Justice, consumer rights and gender equality. Become Vice President for Values ​​and Transparency, coordinate the work of the Commission on Rule of Law issues, in conjunction with Didier Reynders.

Democracy and demography / Croatian Dubravka Suica (EPP), 62, was Mayor of Dubrovnik between 2001 and 2009, a Member of the Croatian Parliament and a Member of the European Parliament. It will be in charge of organizing a conference on the European future.

Migration, security, education / The 57-year-old Greek Margaritis Schinas (EPP) obtains a portfolio that covers migration and asylum, security and education. The title had been changed from "Protecting the European lifestyle" accused of treading the rhetoric of the extreme right to "Promoting the European lifestyle". Originally from the country particularly involved in the migration issue, the former MEP has been the Commission's chief spokesman since 2014 and is a fine connoisseur of the mechanics of the European institutions.

Budget and administration / The 61-year-old Austrian Johannes Hahn (EPP) is outgoing commissioner for neighborhood and enlargement policies. First he was Commissioner for Regional Policy and was Minister of Research and Science.

Trade / Irishman Phil Hogan (Ppe), 59, is the outgoing Agriculture Commissioner. Former Minister of the Environment and local authorities, he will be responsible for managing trade tensions with the United States and will have to participate in negotiations on the future relationship with the United Kingdom. It remains to understand how its action will be articulated, with the mission given by Von der Leyen to Michel Barnier to define the modalities of this future relationship.

Innovation and youth / The 40-year-old Bulgarian Mariya Gabriel (Ppe) is an outgoing commissioner for the digital economy, where she is committed to online disinformation.

Work / The Luxembourgish Nicolas Schmit (S&D), 65, was Minister of Labor and Social Economy and Solidarity, as well as Permanent Ambassador of Luxembourg to the EU (1998-2004).

Economy / The Italian Paolo Gentiloni (S&D), 65, former Italian prime minister, will deal with the European budget rules and their respect by the Member States.

Agriculture / The Polish Janusz Wojciechowski (sovereignist, Cre), 64, is a member of the European Court of Auditors and former president of his country's Court of Auditors. As an MEP, he was involved in an investigation by the European anti-fraud office (Olaf), having to answer before MEPs.

Internal market / The French 64-year-old Thierry Breton , former CEO of the Atos IT group and former Economy Minister (2005-2007), obtains the extensive portfolio covering the single and digital market. First major entrepreneur to become commissioner, he takes the place of Sylvie Goulard, initial candidate of Emmanuel Macron, due to a judicial inquiry in France and rejected for ethical reasons.

Cohesion and reforms / 64 year-old Portuguese Elisa Ferreira (S&D), deputy governor of the Bank of Portugal, is a former Minister of Environment and Regional Development, a former MEP.

Health / Cypriot Stella Kyriakides (Ppe), 63, has been a deputy since 2006. Training psychologist, committed to cancer prevention, was also interim president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2017-2018).

Justice / The Belgian Didier Reynders (Liberal, Renew Europe), 61, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, is a pillar of his country's politics. In June, he failed to become president of the Council of Europe.

Equality / Maltese Helena Dalli (S&D), 57, is a former minister of European affairs and equality, as well as social dialogue and public freedoms. Member of Parliament in Malta since 1996.

Home Affairs / Ylva Johansson (S&D), 55, has been a minister several times, in particular at Work, Education and Social Affairs.

Crisis Management / Slovenian Janez Lenarcic (independent), 52, permanent ambassador of his country to the EU, was State Secretary for European Affairs.

Transport / 51-year-old Adina-Ioana Valean ( EPP ), a transport MEP, was appointed after the failure of the candidacy of compatriot Rovana Plumb (S&D), rejected by MEPs for conflict of interest.

Neighborhood and enlargement / The 47-year-old Hungarian Oliver Varhelyi ( EPP ), ambassador of his country to the EU, gets the portfolio for the Enlargement, after the rejection of the first candidate proposed by Viktor Orban, Laszlo Trocsanyi.

International partnerships / The 44-year-old Finnish Jutta Urpilainen (S&D) was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister (2011-2014). In the crisis of the euro zone it has distinguished itself for its hard line to Greece and Spain.

Energy / Estonian Kadri Simson (Renew Europe), 42, was Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure (2016-2019).

Environment, oceans and fisheries / Lithuanian Virginijus Sinkevicius (Greens / Ale), 29, elected to the Parliament of his country in 2016, the following year was appointed Minister of Economy, becoming the youngest member of a Government of Lithuania .