EC president-elect asks Romania for more names for EU commissioner seat

The European Commission (EC) president-elect Ursula von der Leyen expects Romania to make several nominations for the seat of EU commissioner, even if the political situation in Romania has changed, EC spokesperson Mina Andreeva said, according to local Mediafax.

“The political situation in Romania may have changed, but the request of the Commission’s president-elect has remained the same: more names/nominations would help to reach a decision. That is why the president-elect is in contact with Romanian counterparts,” Mina Andreeva said on Monday, in Brussels.

Referring to a possible delay in starting the mandate of the new EC team, Andreeva said that she couldn’t present a timetable because it all depends on the nominations that will be made by Romania, Hungary and France, the three countries that must propose EU commissioners.

The Romanian government first proposed MEP Rovana Plumb for the position of EU Commissioner for Transport, but the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee rejected Plumb’s appointment due to conflict of interest. Earlier this month, the EC spokesperson also confirmed for local Digi24 that Ursula von der Leyen has rejected Romania’s second proposal for commissioner – Socialist MEP Dan Nica.

Thus, Romania has to make new nominations but the political situation has changed in the country after the government led by prime minister Viorica Dancila fell following a no-confidence motion vote in the Parliament. According to local G4media.ro, Ursula von der Leyen would want Romania to nominate a woman for the commissioner seat.

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