Malta has lost out on having its nominee give the prestigious Commissioner for the Mediterranean post, with Glenn Micallef being nominated to be Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.
European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen presented the new proposed European Commission at a press conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday morning after meeting European Parliament President Robert Metsola and the European Parliament’s political group leaders.
The announcement of the new Commission had been delayed as von der Leyen desperately tried to convince some countries to change their nominees in order to achieve a better gender balance.
Malta was reportedly amongst the countries facing pressure to change its nominee, but Robert Abela’s government stuck firm in its backing for the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Glenn Micallef.
It is no secret that Malta had been vying for the post of Commissioner for the Mediterranean – a post that was created after the Maltese government’s own suggestion, but von der Leyen has chosen to entrust it to Dubravka Suica – the nominee from Croatia, who was already European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography during the last five year term.
Instead Micallef has been nominated to be Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.
"Intergenerational fairness is a cross cutting topic - it effects all of us but especially young people and it is about the right balance in society and I have entrusted Glenn to watch over this," von der Leyen said.
Prime Minister Abela said that he was “delighted” that Micallef had been entrusted with what he described as a “key portfolio.”
“The European Union has a meaningful impact on people, particularly in youth, culture & sport. A proud moment for Malta as our nominee takes on a key role in shaping the future of Europe,” Abela wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Micallef meanwhile said that it was a “true privilege” for him to be entrusted with leading EU policies in the area he had been entrusted with.
“Few areas are as close to EU citizens' daily lives and experiences as youth, intergenerational fairness, sport, and culture. Looking forward to working together with President von der Leyen towards one goal: making Europe stronger,” Micallef tweeted.
The new Commission has been subject to intense horse trading on von der Leyen’s part as she tried to ensure a more gender balanced Commission. Her efforts have translated into the Commission now having 11 women – equivalent to 40%, up from the initial ratio of 22% based on the candidates first presented by member states.
Malta was not immune to these efforts: it was widely reported that von der Leyen had put pressure on the Maltese government to replace Micallef with a woman – quite possibly current European Commissioner Helena Dalli.
This was amidst concerns at Micallef’s inexperience: the 35-year-old has no experience in an elected political role, and as the Prime Minister’s chief of staff until his resignation earlier in summer. He previously served as Director General of Malta’s EU Coordination Department.
Micallef was not Abela’s first choice – that was his now ex Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, who was seen as a shoe-in for a significant role particularly due to the respect he holds in European and global health circles after Malta’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, was his first nominee.
However Fearne asked for his nomination to be withdrawn after he was charged in connection with the Vitals hospitals deal scandal.
Micallef will still have to face a grilling at the hands of MEPs before he is confirmed in his new post. These grillings are known to be intense – with Helena Dalli going through a three-hour one before she was confirmed - and Micallef will have to convince MEPs that he is up for the job.
It wouldn’t be the first time that MEPs reject nominees - in 2019 the European Parliament rejected the nominees from Romania, Hungary, and - most notably - France, forcing the respective governments to nominate replacements for their original candidates.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meanwhile tweeted that the announcement “paves the way for Parliament to vet candidates as efficiently as possible.”
“Parliamentary scrutiny will not cut corners,” she said. Parliament's vetting process is expected to start next month.
Von der Leyen’s bargaining with countries has not been without controversy. Just last Friday France’s European Commissioner Thierry Breton dramatically resigned, writing in an open letter that von der Leyen had asked the French government to withdraw his name “for personal reasons that in no instance you [von der Leyen] have discussed directly with me.”
France obliged, and instead presented 39-year-old Stéphane Séjourné who von der Leyen has awarded the post of Executive Vice President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
Perhaps symbolically, four out of the six Vice President posts have been entrusted to women, with former Estonia Prime Minister Kaja Kallas being nominated as High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy being the highlight.
Tuesday’s presentation paves the way for the start of the confirmation hearing process, once Parliament receives all the necessary documentation.
The Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs will scrutinise the declarations of interests of the Commissioners-designate and each Commissioner-designate’s responses to the written questions submitted by the Parliament will be published on Parliament’s website in advance of the confirmation hearing.
The Conference of Presidents will organise the confirmation hearings based on a recommendation of the Conference of Committee Chairs. Each Commissioner-designate will be invited to appear before the appropriate committee or committees for a single confirmation hearing, lasting three hours. However, in the case of particularly large or complex portfolios involving more than one committee, the confirmation hearing may last for up to four hours. The confirmation hearings will be livestreamed.
Parliament will evaluate Commissioners-designate based on their general competence, European commitment and personal independence, as well as assess their knowledge of their prospective portfolio and their communication skills.
The committee coordinators will evaluate the individual Commissioners-designate after the confirmation hearing and prepare a single evaluation letter for each Commissioner-designate. To be approved, coordinators representing a majority of at least 2/3 of the committee members belonging to a political group, should approve the Commissioner-designate. If this majority cannot be reached, more information can be requested by additional written questions, or by a resumed confirmation hearing, lasting for 1,5 hours.
The evaluation letters are conveyed to the Conference of Presidents, which can then declare the confirmation hearings closed and authorise the publication of all letters of evaluation.
Following successful confirmation hearings, the President-elect will present the College of Commissioners and their programme at Parliament’s plenary, followed by a debate, and a vote to elect or reject the Commission as a whole, by a majority of the votes cast (by roll call).