As nominations for EU Commissioners come in, Ursula von der Leyen’s push for gender parity is facing challenges. Von der Leyen requested that EU countries propose two candidates – one male and one female – for her new team, but no country has complied with this request yet. Despite the deadline being August 30, nine member states have already confirmed their candidates, with six fielding new candidates who have not included both genders. The remaining three countries have re-nominated their current Commissioners, negating the need for gender balance.
Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala have both chosen to nominate only male candidates, while Croatia has also nominated a male candidate. Finland, Spain, and Sweden have put forward female candidates. Von der Leyen is aiming for an equal gender balance in her new team, as she believes in selecting the best-prepared candidates who share a commitment to Europe.
The outgoing von der Leyen Commission had a gender balance of 13 female and 14 male Commissioners, and von der Leyen plans to continue her efforts for gender equality in her second term. She is the first woman to preside over the EU’s executive arm and has vowed to develop a “Roadmap for Women’s Rights” to address issues such as the gender pay gap, violence against women, and balancing care and career responsibilities. Despite the challenges she faces in ensuring gender parity among Commissioner nominations, von der Leyen remains committed to her goal.
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