The deadline for EU member states to nominate candidates for the European Commission was set for 30 August. Some countries have already put forward their candidates, including Bulgaria. Former Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva and former Ecology Ministery Julian Popov were proposed as Bulgaria’s candidates, making Bulgaria the only country to propose both male and female candidates by the deadline. Italy has announced Raffaele Fitto as its EU commissioner, a politician with a long career in politics. Denmark has nominated Dan Jørgensen, a social democrat with experience in the European Parliament. However, Belgium is still in political turmoil and has not yet nominated a candidate for the European Commission.
Ekaterina Zaharieva and Julian Popov have been proposed as Bulgaria’s candidates for the European Commission. This decision was made after discussions between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev. Bulgaria is the only country to have nominated both a male and female candidate for the commission, following Ursula von der Leyen’s request for gender balance. In Italy, Raffaele Fitto has been announced as the country’s EU commissioner. Fitto has a long political career that began in Puglia and has served in various roles in Brussels. Denmark has put forward Dan Jørgensen as its nominee for the European Commission, part of a wider cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Jørgensen has previous experience as a member of the European Parliament.
Belgium, however, has not yet managed to elect a commissioner due to political turmoil in the country. Belgium is expected to appoint a male commissioner, despite von der Leyen’s push for gender balance in the nominations. Few female candidates have been nominated for European Commissioner positions so far. These developments are part of the process of selecting the next team of EU commissioners under Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership. The nominations from each member state will play a crucial role in shaping the composition and priorities of the European Commission in the coming years. It remains to be seen how the selection process will unfold in the coming weeks as more countries announce their candidates for the commission.
