Von der Leyen unveils picks for European Commission

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled her proposed team to lead the European Union's executive branch for the next five years. Each of the 27 member states gets a position in the Commission but some roles are deemed more politically lucrative than others.

The Commission President has sought to play down the significance of particular roles, maintaining that all the portfolios are interconnected, with competitiveness and the green transition serving as common themes.

"The very first step that we did is deducted from the political guidelines to define our core priorities and they are built as you know, and it's no ranking, around prosperity, security, democracy. These are the overarching topics," said Von der Leyen.

Spain's candidate has been awarded the coveted spot of antitrust chief. The country's current Energy and Environment Minister, Teresa Ribera, will have the task of regulating Big Tech firms whilst also ensuring the bloc implements its ambitious climate targets.

France's pick, Stéphane Séjourné, was awarded the title of Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy while Italy takes the post of Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reform. The decision has been seen as a big win for Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who did not support Von der Leyen's reelection bid as Commission President. 

The European Commission has the power to negotiate free trade agreements, block mergers and propose EU laws. Outlining the Commission's priorities for the next five years, Von der Leyen said at a press conference in Strasbourg that "it's about strengthening our tech sovereignty, our security and our democracy. For that we want to build a competitive, decarbonized and circular economy with a fair transition for all.

"We will only be able to do that if we design a bold industrial strategy with innovation and investment at its heart. So to a certain extent it's not preserving the old but via innovation and investment really embracing the new," she added.

Von der Leyen's team consists of 11 women, falling well short of her initial goal of achieving gender equality in the Commission's top jobs. However, her top team of six executive vice presidents consists of four women and two men. 

For the first time, a role of European Defense Commissioner has been created. The position is set to be led by Lithuania's former leader Andrius Kubilius, who has been tasked with putting together a white paper on European defense within his first 100 days in the job. The aim of the assignment is to prepare Europe for the "most extreme military contingencies."

All of the Commission picks will now need to be interviewed and vetted by the European Parliament. The body has the final say on whether to approve the candidates. It could still be months before the nominees begin their new roles. 

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday