EU Commissioners-designate confirmation hearings: Week of the 11th November 2024

All 26 candidates have now officially gone through their confirmation hearings. Nevertheless, committees have yet to give their confirmation to the six Executive Vice Presidents that went through their hearings yesterday, as well as to Hungarian Commissioner-designate Olivér Várhelyi. The block is evidently a political one with leaders of the political families now holding meetings to try and break the deadlock. If all Commissioners are indeed confirmed, the plenary vote will still take place w/c 25 November in Strasbourg, with the new Commission taking office 1 December.  

Following up to November’s update to the first round of hearings, below our team’s review on some of this week’s hearings with von der Leyen’s prospective Executive Vice Presidents: 

French Commissioner-designate Stephane Séjourné 

Portfolio: Executive Vice President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy 

Overall Impression: Séjourné presented himself as a knowledgeable and pragmatic choice for the EU’s Commissioner for Prosperity and Industrial Policy, adeptly addressing key issues such as EU competitiveness and relations with China. His focus on decarbonisation, industrial support, and strategic investments highlighted his commitment to strengthening EU industries amidst global challenges. With Séjourné, von der Leyen gains a more constructive and cooperative French representative in the Commission college, contrasting with the often-contentious stance of his predecessor, Thierry Breton. 

1. Manufacturing and Industrial Competitiveness: Séjourné voiced strong support for protecting EU industries, particularly against Chinese competition. He discussed establishing an EU Competitiveness Fund to de-risk investments, especially in manufacturing sectors like steel and chemicals, emphasising that EU products must be shielded from non-compliant imports​. 
2. Automotive Industry: Addressing the green transition, Séjourné affirmed the EU’s timeline to phase out combustion engines by 2035 but indicated a focus on incentives rather than penalties for non-compliance. He stressed that demand-side incentives could encourage growth in the electric vehicle market, promoting a predictable framework to support the auto sector’s transition. 
3. Energy and Clean Tech: With rising energy costs, Séjourné pledged to support clean energy industries, including green hydrogen, and proposed a clean industrial pact. He highlighted the need for large investments in clean technology to reduce EU dependencies on foreign energy supplies and stabilise energy-intensive sectors​. 
4. Public Procurement Reform: Séjourné proposed reforms to the EU’s procurement policies to prioritise “quality jobs” and social standards. He suggested setting mandatory social and environmental criteria in public tenders, particularly for strategic sectors, to strengthen EU industries and protect workers’ rights​. 

Italian Commissioner-designate Raffaele Fitto 

Portfolio: Executive Vice President for Cohesion and Reforms 

Overall Impression: Commissioner-designate Raffaele Fitto presented a composed and pragmatic image during his hearing, focusing on EU-wide issues and commitments to cohesion rather than partisan agendas. Despite concerns about his ties to Italy’s right-wing government, he emphasised his dedication to serving European rather than national interests, though tensions with left-leaning MEPs persisted. 

1. Regional Funding & Local Authority Impact: Fitto committed to prioritising the “place-based approach” for cohesion policy, promoting direct collaboration with local authorities to reduce red tape and accelerate fund access. He emphasised simplifying processes and increasing flexibility in how funds are allocated, with initiatives focused on empowering regions to address their unique needs, especially in underdeveloped and outermost areas. 
2. Housing Sector: Addressing Europe’s housing crisis, Fitto proposed doubling the budget for renovations (from €7 billion to €14 billion), indicating potential support for cities and regions in tackling housing shortages. This funding boost could enhance housing access, particularly in urban and economically struggling areas. 
3. Sustainable and Green Development: Fitto underscored the importance of integrating green and digital transitions into his portfolio, focusing on funding clean energy projects and enhancing digital infrastructure across regions. He expressed support for expanding the Just Transition Fund, which would aid coal-dependent and carbon-intensive regions in transitioning toward greener economies, thereby creating local jobs and fostering sustainable growth. 
4. Island and Rural Regions: Fitto underlined support for policies that address unique challenges facing island and rural regions, advocating for tailored policy frameworks to support job creation, local tourism, transport, and digital connectivity. These targeted policies could reduce regional inequalities and counter depopulation by supporting sustainable local economies. 

Finnish Commissioner-designate Henna Virkkunen 

Portfolio: Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy 

Overall Impression: Virkkunen conveyed a structured and pragmatic vision focused on bolstering Europe’s tech sovereignty and cybersecurity while addressing regulatory challenges. Although she avoided specific details across all policies, she emphasised cooperation, transparency, and the importance of investment and innovation across her portfolio. Being well-versed in content moderation, AI, and cybersecurity, Virkkunen is well positioned to fulfil President von der Leyen’s ambitions in these areas. The lack of previous Digital Markets Act (DMA) focus and the split enforcement over the file with EVP Ribera, however, may prove challenging for enforcing one of the most ambitious tech files for the Commission. 

1. Telecommunications and Infrastructure: Virkkunen underscored the need to secure critical infrastructure, particularly concerning reliance on high-risk vendors like Huawei for 5G. She advocated for increased EU independence, citing a new Digital Networks Act as a means to bolster sovereignty, whilst also cutting red tape and ensuring faster, secure connectivity for member states. 
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI): With an aim to make Europe an “AI continent,” Virkkunen pledged her commitment to the AI Act and outlined initiatives like AI factories to enhance computing power. She plans to introduce the Cloud and AI Development Act to drive energy-efficient AI adoption, improve business capacity, and support innovation, emphasising opportunities in industries like healthcare. 
3. Cybersecurity and Defense: Highlighting vulnerabilities in Europe’s defense infrastructure, Virkkunen announced plans for an EU Cybersecurity Action Plan and supported a move toward a unified EU defense policy. This includes boosting EU semiconductor production to reduce dependencies and establishing secure digital ecosystems to counter hybrid threats. 
4. Content moderation: A former Digital Services Act (DSA) rapporteur for Opinion, Virkkunen committed to the strict enforcement of the DSA, especially regarding child safety and addictive algorithms. She also discussed the Democracy Shield initiative to guard against foreign interference in elections, addressing social media regulation and supporting transparent, resilient democracies.

Spanish Commissioner-designate Teresa Ribera 

Portfolio: Executive Vice President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition and Commissioner in charge of Competition 

Overall Impression: The hearing of Commissioner-designate Teresa Ribera in the European Parliament was marked by intense political tension and scrutiny, particularly around her role as a climate policy leader. Despite heated exchanges and partisan divisions, Ribera demonstrated a firm commitment to the European Green Deal, emphasising resilience to climate impacts and competitiveness in a green economy. Given her expertise in this field, and the lack of competition background, it could be expected that Competition may take a back seat in her overall policy priorities – something that was also evident in her hearing. 

1. Climate and Environmental Policy: Ribera emphasised urgent action on climate resilience, committing to a new European Climate Adaptation Plan that will address preparedness for extreme weather events, particularly in response to the deadly floods in Valencia. Her plan includes enhancing early warning systems and prioritising water resilience, impacting environmental regulations and water management standards across the EU. 
2. Industrial Transition and Decarbonisation: Ribera outlined her support for a “just transition” focused on industrial decarbonisation and sustainable job creation. She plans to prioritise the automotive sector’s shift to low-emission technologies, working closely with industry stakeholders to support both primary industries and subcontractors. This transition aims to uphold competitiveness while reducing carbon emissions, likely leading to new industry standards and support mechanisms. 
3. Competition Policy Reform: Although less experienced in competition matters, Ribera committed to modernising EU competition policy with a focus on speeding up enforcement and simplifying state aid rules. She stressed the importance of bolstering the EU’s capacity to enforce the Digital Markets Act (DMA), particularly to address anti-competitive behaviour among digital giants. Ribera also expressed openness to developing new tools to address issues like “killer acquisitions,” aiming for a more agile and fair regulatory environment that supports innovation across Europe. 
4. Energy Policy and Nuclear Power: Ribera held a firm stance on nuclear power, acknowledging member states’ rights to determine their energy mix but refraining from extending financial support for new nuclear initiatives. This decision maintains the EU’s neutrality on nuclear energy while focusing investment on renewables and sustainable energy sources, impacting energy policy by redirecting funds towards green energy initiatives rather than nuclear development.