POTENTIAL COMMISSION NOMINEES BY MEMBER STATES

The President of the Commission is the central figure in the selection of the new College. His or her election affects the negotiations both on the allocation of portfolios and choice of commissioners (the latter task being formally shared with national leaders, the former also being an issue on which prime ministers exert an influence).

27 Commissioners jobs to be filled. Slovakia, Estonia, Malta, Croatia, Latvia have already submitted their Nominees.

Among the potential contenders:

AUSTRIA (3)

  1. Michael Spindelegger (EPP), Finance Minister and Leader of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP).
  2. Johannes Hahn (EPP), Current Commissioner for Regional Policy.
  3. Doris Bures (PES), Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology.

BELGIUM (8)

  1. Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE), Current Leader of ALDE in the EP.
  2. Pieter De Crem (EPP), Minister of Defence since 2007.
  3. Elio Di Rupo (PES), Outgoing Prime Minister.
  4. Karel De Gucht (ALDE), Commissioner for Trade since 2010, Previously served as Foreign Minister and European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid.
  5. Marianne Thyssen (EPP), MEP since 1991.
  6. Philippe Maystadt (EPP), Former Economics and Finance Minister and Former Deputy Prime Minister.
  7. Kris Peeters (EPP), Outgoing Minister-President of Flanders.
  8. Paul Magnette (PES), Current Chair of Francophone Socialist Party (PS).

BULGARIA (4)

  1. Kristalina Georgieva (EPP, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.
  2. Sergei Stanichev, Former Prime Minister of Bulgaria and current President of the Party of European Socialists.
  3. Gergana Passy, Former Europe Minister.
  4. Nadezhda Neynski (EPP), Former Foreign Minister and MEP from 2009 to 2014.

CROATIA (1)

  1. Neven Mimica (PES), Commissioner for Consumer Protection (since July 2013). *

CYPRUS (3)

  1. Ionannis Kasoulidis (EPP), Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a Member of the Centre-Right Democratic Rally (DISY).
  2. Marios Garoyian (PES), Former Leader of the Democratic Party (DIKO) and Former President of the Greek House of Representatives.
  3. Christos Stylianides (EPP), Former Government Spokesperson, Elected to the EP in May 2014.

CZECH REPUBLIC (2)

  1. Pavel Mertlik (PES), Former Minister of Finance, Preferred Nominee by the Czech Social Democrats, who lead the coalition in Prague.
  2. Pavel Telička (ALDE), Served as a Commissioner 10 years ago.

DENMARK (4)

  1. Helle Thorning-Schmidt (PES), Prime Minister of Denmark since 2011.
  2. Morten Bødskov (PES), European affairs spokesperson for the Social Democrats.
  3. Mette Gjerskov (PES), Former Agriculture Minister and Chair of the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
  4. Anders Fogh Rasmussen (ALDE), Former Prime Minister of Denmark and Outgoing Nato Secretary-General.

ESTONIA (1)

  1. Andrus Ansip (ALDE), Outgoing Estonian Prime Minister and Chairman of the Reform Party. *

FINLAND (3)

  1. Jyrki Katainen (EPP), Outgoing Prime Minister.  (Most likely Nominee)
  2. Alexander Stubb (EPP), Currently Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade.
  3. Henna Virkkunen (EPP), Minister for Public Administration and Local Government.

FRANCE (7)

  1. Pierre Moscovici (PES), Former Finance Minister (2012 to 2014).
  2. Jean-Marc Ayrault PES), Former Prime Minister (2012 to 2014).
  3. Christine Lagarde (EPP), Director General International Monetary Fund.
  4. Martine Aubry (PES), Mayor of Lille, Former First Secretary of the French Socialist Party.
  5. Élisabeth Guigou (PES), Former MEP and Europe Minister.
  6. Catherine Trautmann (PES), Member of the European Parliament until 2014, Former Mayor of Strasbourg (1989 to 2001).
  7. Pervenche Berès (PES), MEP for 20 years.

GERMANY (5)

  1. Martin Schulz (PES), Current President of the European Parliament, Just elected as President of the S&D Political Group in the EP.
  2. David McAllister (EPP), Former Prime Minister of the Lower Saxony region.
  3. Günther Oettinger (EPP), European Commissioner for Energy since February 2010. Most likely Nominee
  4. Ursula von der Leyen (EPP), Current Defence Minister.
  5. Frank-Walter Steinmeier (PES), Current Minister for Foreign Affairs.

GREECE (3)

  1. Kostis Chatzidakis (EPP), Minister of Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks.
  2. Dora Bakoyannis (EPP), Former Foreign Minister.
  3. Evangelos Venizelos (PES), Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and Leader of the Greek Socialist Party, Pasok.

HUNGARY (3)

  1. Enikő Győri (EPP), Europe Minister.
  2. Tibor Navracsics (EPP), Newly-appointed Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister.
  3. József Szájer (EPP), Member of the European Parliament.

IRELAND (5)

  1. Phil Hogan (EPP), Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.
  2. Eamon Gilmore (PES), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  3. Enda Kenny (EPP), Prime Minister since March 2011.
  4. Brian Hayes (EPP), Minister of State in the Finance Ministry and a Member of Parliament for Fine Gael.
  5. Ruairi Quinn (PES), Education Minister since 2011.

ITALY (6)

  1. Massimo D’Alema (PES), Former Prime Minister.
  2. Enrico Letta (PES), Prime Minister until February 2014.
  3. Paolo De Castro (PES), Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
  4. Enzo Moavero Milanesi, Former European Affairs Minister in the Monti and Letta Governments.
  5. Mario Monti , Former Prime Minister and Former European Commissioner.
  6. Emma Bonino (ALDE),  One of the leading members of the Italian Radicals and Foreign Minister until February 2014.

LATVIA (1)

  1. Valdis Dombrovskis (EPP), Prime Minister from 2009 to 2013. *

LITHUANIA (4)

  1. Vytenis Andriukaitis (PES), Current Health Minister.
  2. Juozas Olekas (PES), Current Defence Minister.
  3. Dalia Grybauskaitė Dalia, President of Lithuania.
  4. Birutė Vėsaitė (PES), Former Economy Minister (from 2012 to 2013).

LUXEMBOURG (3)

  1. Jean-Claude Juncker (EPP), European People’s Party candidate for the Commission Presidency, Prime Minister from 1995 to 2013.
  2. Jean Asselborn (PES), Foreign Minister since 2004, combining the office with the role of Deputy Prime Minister until 2013.
  3. Nicolas Schmit (PES), Current Employment Minister and a Member of the centre-left Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP).

MALTA (1)

  1. Karmenu Vella (PES), Long-standing Maltese parliamentarian,  most recently Tourism Minister. *

NETHERLANDS (12)

  1. Neelie Kroes (ALDE), Current Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda.
  2. Hans Wijers (ALDE), Former Economic Affairs Minister from the progressive liberal Democrats 66 party.
  3. Gerrit Zalm (ALDE), Former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister (2003 to 2007), CEO ABN-AMRO Bank.
  4. Frans Timmermans (PES), Current Foreign Minister.
  5. Jeroen Dijsselbloem (PES), Finance Minister, Head of the Eurogroup.
  6. Wouter Bos (PES),  Former Party Leader and Former Finance Minister, left politics in 2010 to join KPMG.
  7. Ad Melkert (PES), Disappeared from Dutch politics after his unexpected electoral defeat against Pim Fortuyn in 2002.
  8. Liliane Ploumen (PES), Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation since 2012.
  9. Bert Koenders (PES), Former State Secretary for Development Cooperation and current Head of the United Nations Mission in Mali.
  10. Sophie in ’t Veld (ALDE), Member of the European Parliament for the Social Liberal Democrats 66 (D66) Party.
  11. Lousewies van der Laan (ALDE), Vice-President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party.
  12. Jan Peter Balkendende (EPP), Former Prime Minister (from 2002 to 2010).

POLAND (3)

  1. Jan-Vincent Rostowski (EPP), Former Finance Minister (from 2007 to 2013).
  2. Radosław Sikorski (EPP), Foreign Minister since 2007, previously Defence Minister. Potential nominee as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
  3. Janusz Lewandowski (EPP), Commissioner responsible for Financial Programming and the Budget since 2010.

PORTUGAL (3)

  1. Vitor Gaspar, Finance Minister (from 2011 to 2013).
  2. Paulo Portas (EPP), Current Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal and leader of the Conservative Democratic and Social Centre – People’s Party (CDS-PP).
  3. Miguel Poiares Maduro (EPP), Current Regional Development Minister.

ROMANIA (3)

  1. Dacian Cioloș (EPP), Current Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. Most likely Nominee
  2. Corina Crețu (PES), Member of the European Parliament who headed the Romanian Social Democratic Party’s list for the 2014 election.
  3. Titus Corlățean (PES), Current Foreign Minister.
  4. Rovana Plumb (PES), Labour and Social Protection Minister since March 2014.

SLOVAKIA (1)

  1. Maroš Šefčovič (PES), Current Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration. *

SLOVENIA (4)

  1. Janez Potočnik (ALDE) Commissioner since Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004.
  2. Alenka Bratušek (ALDE), Prime Minister from March 2013 to May 2014.
  3. Igor Lukšič (PES), Outgoing Leader of Slovenia’s Social Democrats.
  4. Anton Rop (PES), Former Prime Minister, currently a Vice-President of the European Investment Bank.

SPAIN (3)

  1. Miguel Arias Cañete (EPP), Member of the European Parliament, Former Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. Most likely nominee
  2. Luis de Guindos Jurado (EPP), Current Minister of the Economy and Competitiveness.
  3. Ana Pastor Julián (EPP), Current Public Works and Transport Minister.

SWEDEN (4)

  1. Fredrik Reinfeldt (EPP), Current Swedish Prime Minister.
  2. Carl Bildt (EPP), Foreign minister, and a clear candidate to take on the role of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (and also Vice-President of the European Commission).
  3. Cecilia Malmström (ALDE) Sweden’s nominee to the Commission in 2009.
  4. Marita Ulvskog (PES), Member of the European Parliament, Minister in Sweden for 10 years.

UK (13)

  1. Andrew Lansley (AECR), Leader of the House of Commons, responsible for the organisation of the government’s business in the lower house of the UK Parliament. Most likely Nominee
  2. Martin Callanan (AECR), Leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament until June 2014.
  3. Andrew Mitchell (AECR), Conservative Member of Parliament and a Former Secretary of State for International Development.
  4. Peter Lilley (AECR), Conservative Member of Parliament who served in government under Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
  5. Owen Paterson (AECR),  Current Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
  6. Theresa Villiers (AECR), Current Northern Ireland Secretary.
  7. David Willetts (AECR), Current Science and Universities Minister.
  8. David Lidington (AECR), Europe Minister since 2010.
  9. Jonathan Hill (AECR) Lord Hill of Oareford, is Leader of the House of Lords.
  10. John Cridland, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry.
  11. Nick Clegg (ALDE), Former Commission official and Former MEP.
  12. Francis Maude (AECR), One of two British signatories to the Maastricht Treaty.
  13. Caroline Spelman (AECR), Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (from 2010 to 2012).

 

* Already Nominated

  • Finland, Latvia, Poland seek an economic or financial portfolio
  • Romania seeks agriculture
  • Spain seeks the Eurogroup presidency
  • U.K. seeks the energy portfolio
  • France seeks the competition portfolio

 

 

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