Welcome to the European Parliament’s special newsletter dedicated to the hearings of the commissioners-designate that are about to start in just a few hours.
Timeline: Parliament’s scrutiny of the commissioners-designate
In June 2024, millions of Europeans voted for their representatives in the European Parliament. Parliament already voted in favour of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission. It is now time to question the 26 commissioners-designate and assess if they have what it takes to join the new European Commission.
Parliament’s legal affairs committee already gave its green light for the hearings to go ahead, after having completed a check for possible conflicts of interest.
Parliament then invites the candidates to appear before the parliamentary committees dealing with their proposed portfolio for confirmation hearings, to assess whether they are suitable for the posts they have been assigned to.
The hearings start today on 4 November and will last until 12 November. Each hearing will last three hours and will start with a short introduction from candidates who will then answer questions from MEPs. Members will have to assess the candidates’ commitment to Europe, personal independence, and competence.
Learn more about the process
The hearings are public and you can follow them live on Parliament’s dedicated hearings website or on the multimedia centre.
Discover more about each candidate including their CV, their declaration of interests, and their answers to written questions.
MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER
14.30-17.30 CET
Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ (Slovakia) – Trade and Economic Security / Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency
Glenn MICALLEF (Malta) – Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport
18.30-21.30 CET
Christophe HANSEN (Luxembourg) – Agriculture and Food
Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS (Greece) – Sustainable Transport and Tourism
TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
9.00-12.00 CET
Michael McGRATH (Ireland) – Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law
Ekaterina SPASOVA GECHEVA-ZAHARIEVA (Bulgaria) – Startups, Research and Innovation
14.30-17.30 CET
Dan JØRGENSEN (Denmark) – Energy and Housing
Dubravka ŠUICA (Croatia) – Mediterranean
18.30-21.30 CET
Jessika ROSWALL (Sweden) – Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
Magnus BRUNNER (Austria) – Internal Affairs and Migration
WEDNESDAY 6 NOVEMBER
9.00-12.00 CET
Hadja LAHBIB (Belgium) – Preparedness and Crisis Management / Equality
Maria Luís DE ALBUQUERQUE (Portugal) – Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union
14.30-17.30 CET
Constantinos KADIS (Cyprus) – Fisheries and Oceans
Jozef SÍKELA (Czechia) – International Partnerships
18.30-21.30 CET
Andrius KUBILIUS (Lithuania) – Defence and Space
Olivér VÁRHELYI (Hungary) – Health and Animal Welfare
THURSDAY 7 NOVEMBER
9.00-12.00 CET
Wopke HOEKSTRA (the Netherlands) – Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth
Marta KOS (Slovenia) – Enlargement
14.30-17.30 CET
Valdis DOMBROVSKIS (Latvia) – Economy and Productivity / Implementation and Simplification
Piotr SERAFIN (Poland) – Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration
TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER
9.00-12.00 CET
Raffaele FITTO (Italy) – Cohesion and Reforms
Kaja KALLAS (Estonia) – Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
14.30-17.30 CET
Roxana MÎNZATU (Romania) – People, Skills and Preparedness
Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (France) – Prosperity and Industrial Strategy
18.30-21.30 CET
Teresa RIBERA RODRÍGUEZ (Spain) – Clean, Just and Competitive Transition
Henna Maria VIRKKUNEN (Finland) – Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
What happens next?
After the hearings, the committee chairs and political group representatives will assess the candidates and prepare their evaluation letters. In case of doubt, the responsible committee may ask more written questions, organise another hearing, or both.
An unsuccessful commissioner-designate may be withdrawn by the EU country that proposed them and replaced by a new candidate in agreement with the Commission President. The new candidate also has to go through all the preparatory steps and a confirmation hearing in Parliament.
When the hearings are concluded, the Parliament will make its final decision on whether to approve the new European Commission as a whole in a plenary vote. If everything proceeds according to schedule, Parliament could vote on the Commission’s college as a whole during the plenary session at the end of November in Strasbourg.
Only then would the European Council appoint the Commission so the latter can begin its five-year term.
What are confirmation hearings?
The process of confirmation hearings is part of the checks and balances at the EU level to ensure transparency and accountability. Commissioners-designate are expected to be fully prepared to answer questions and present their plans in detail. The detailed and thorough scrutiny aims to ensure that the new commissioners meet high standards.
Confirmation hearings of potential EU commissioners are a key moment for Parliament. Initially, Parliament was not involved in the appointment of the Commission as the decision was in the hands of the governments of EU countries. Things changed with the Maastricht Treaty, which came into force in 1993. Having pushed for years for the right to have a say on the appointment of the EU executive, Parliament gained the right to vote on the Commission as a whole.
Useful resources
Confirmation hearings of commissioners-designate (press toolkit)
Hearings: what comes next (Linkedin post)
Confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate (policy podcast)