Belgium appoints final commissioner candidate for Von der Leyen team

On September 2, Belgium appointed its current Foreign Minister, Hadja Lahbib, as its candidate for European Commissioner, marking the final appointment among EU countries. This decision came three days after the August 30 deadline set by Ursula von der Leyen, the President-elect of the European Commission. With this appointment, all EU member states have submitted their candidates, allowing von der Leyen to begin assembling her team and assigning responsibilities. The gender balance of the proposed candidates has raised concerns, as 17 countries nominated male candidates while only seven nominated females. Bulgaria is the only country to propose both a male and a female candidate. Despite von der Leyen's efforts to achieve a gender-balanced team, the current nominations would result in a less balanced representation compared to her previous term. As von der Leyen prepares to distribute portfolios among the candidates, she faces the challenge of addressing the gender imbalance. Assigning higher-profile roles to female candidates could be a strategy to mitigate this issue. The European Parliament has scheduled a meeting on September 11 for von der Leyen to present her final team distribution, although it remains uncertain when this information will be made public. Following the presentation, all commissioner candidates will undergo individual hearings in parliamentary committees, where their qualifications and potential conflicts of interest will be evaluated. The final step involves a plenary vote by the European Parliament, which will determine the new Commission's mandate, expected to begin after the current Commission concludes its functions on October 31.