The leading party groups in the European Parliament agreed on Wednesday to support all new members of the EU Commission.
In the final stages, the two largest party groups, the center-right EPP and the social democratic S&D, were on a collision course over seven candidates out of the 26 who would make up the Commission under the leadership of EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
The conservative EPP chose to fight over, among other things, the Spanish candidate Teresa Ribera. Social Democrat Ribera had to first be held accountable for the consequences of the severe flooding disaster in the Valencia region of Spain, the group believed.
The social democratic party group S&D in the European Parliament has been very critical of the Commission candidates from the far-right governments in Hungary and Italy.
Laid Down Their Axes
The dispute between the groups in the European Parliament meant that the Commission's work risked being delayed, as the Commission as a whole must be approved by Parliament.
On Wednesday, the two large party groups, as well as the liberal party group RE, chose to lay down their axes – and thus open up for a vote in Parliament as early as next week. The intended start date for the new EU Commission is December 1.
MEP Tomas Tobé (The Moderate Party) welcomes the agreement.
"More than five months after the European election, it's high time to get a new EU Commission in place," says Tobé in a statement to TT, and emphasizes that problems with cross-border crime, EU competitiveness, and issues related to migration are pressing for the new Commission.
"Now it's time to start working,” says Tomas Tobé, who is vice chairman of the EPP group.
Ongoing Dissatisfaction
But several party groups, such as the left-wing group GUE/NGL and the Green party group De gröna/EFA, are still showing dissatisfaction with the Commission's composition and the commissioners who are considered to belong to a nationalist far-right, such as Italy's Raffaele Fitto and Hungary's Olivér Várhelyi.
The Swedish candidate, former EU Minister Jessika Roswall (The Moderate Party), will become Commissioner for issues related to the environment, water management, and circular economy.
The EU Parliament's members are divided into eight party groups:
* Christian Democratic Conservative EPP: 188 members (including 4 from The Moderate Party and 1 from The Christian Democrats)
* Social Democratic S&D: 136 (including 5 from The Social Democratic Party)
* National Conservative PFE: 86 (no Swedes)
* EU-Skeptical Conservative ECR: 78 (including 3 from The Sweden Democrats)
* Liberal RE: 77 (including 2 from The Center Party and 1 from The Liberals)
* Green party De gröna/EFA: 53 (including 3 from The Green Party)
* Left-wing GUE/NGL: 46 (including 2 from The Left Party)
* Far-right ESN: 25 (no Swedes)
In addition, there are 30 members who do not belong to any party group
