{"id":47354,"date":"2024-11-04T10:46:12","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T07:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/?p=47354"},"modified":"2024-11-04T11:11:48","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T08:11:48","slug":"epitropi-von-der-leyen-2-0-thesmika-charaktiristika-chartofylakia-epitropon-kai-epistoles-anathesis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/the-von-der-leyen-commission-2-0-institutional-features-portfolios-and-mission-letters\/","title":{"rendered":"The von der Leyen Commission 2.0: Institutional Features, Portfolios and Mission Letters"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"the-content\"><p>The policy brief outlines the strategic vision and structural reorganisation of the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen\u2019s second term. Emphasising &#8220;Security, Prosperity, and Democracy,&#8221; von der Leyen\u2019s Commission 2.0 consolidates power through a streamlined, centralised structure with six Executive Vice-Presidents, aiming for a more responsive and efficient EU. Each Commissioner has been assigned specific, often overlapping, missions focusing on key areas such as the Green Deal, technological sovereignty, and European defence. This centralisation marks a shift toward a more presidential model, raising concerns about governance complexity and missed opportunities for deeper citizen engagement and clearer portfolio distinctions. At the same time, it constitutes the core strategic approach to addressing the EU&#8217;s complex priorities.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Vision<\/strong>: President Ursula von der Leyen prioritises &#8220;Security, Prosperity, and Democracy,&#8221; aiming for a responsive, flexible, and efficient European Union.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>New Commission Structure:<\/strong> The von der Leyen Commission 2.0 introduces a centralised structure with six Executive Vice-Presidents, removing traditional Vice-Presidents to streamline leadership.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mission Letters:<\/strong> Each of the 26 Commissioners-designate received specific missions, with major focuses on the Green Deal, technological sovereignty, industrial sovereignty, and European defence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Presidentialisation:<\/strong> The Commission&#8217;s structure reflects increased centralisation, reinforcing von der Leyen&#8217;s authority and moving towards a presidential model.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Challenges:<\/strong> Overlapping portfolios (e.g., environment, defence, and competitiveness) create complexity and redundancy across roles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Missed Opportunities:<\/strong> The new structure lacks a dedicated focus on EU governance reform and clearer citizen engagement pathways, which could enhance responsiveness to public concerns\u200b.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Strategic Approach:<\/strong> The persistent overlap of portfolios necessitates a centralised, streamlined structure to improve governance and address the EU&#8217;s complex priorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Policy-brief-193-Von-der-Leyen-Commission-2.pdf\">here<\/a> in pdf the Policy brief by <strong>Spyros Blavoukos<\/strong>,\u00a0Professor, Athens University of Economics and Business, Head of the \u2018Arian Condellis\u2019 European Programme, ELIAMEP;<strong>\u00a0Dimitrios Kollias,\u00a0<\/strong>Junior Research Fellow, Programme Manager, Ariane Condellis European Programme, ELIAMEP, Stefanos Spyridon Pappas, Research Assistant, EPACE-EU, ELIAMEP; Lefteris Foivos Vasilopoulos, Research Assistant, EPACE-EU, ELIAMEP.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>Ursula von der Leyen opened the game with a straight <em>\u2018Security, Prosperity, Democracy\u2019<\/em> flush. The Commission President envisions a Europe that is more responsive to its citizens, grounded in local engagement and characterised by greater flexibility and efficiency. This vision is evident in the President\u2019s initial written addresses to the Commissioners-designate. In the <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/about-european-commission\/towards-new-commission-2024-2029\/commissioners-designate-2024-2029_en\">Mission Letters to Commissioners-designate (2024-2029)<\/a>, President von der Leyen establishes the priorities and expectations guiding each portfolio, setting a strategic tone for the responsibilities of each Commissioner and the collaborative goals within the Commission.<\/p>\n<p>These letters draw upon insights and recommendations from landmark reports commissioned by previous administrations of the European executive. These documents include the <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/topics\/strengthening-european-competitiveness\/eu-competitiveness-looking-ahead_en#paragraph_47059\">Draghi Report<\/a>, addressing the future of European competitiveness; the <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.ec.europa.eu\/document\/download\/171329ff-0f50-4fa5-946f-aea11032172e_en?filename=strategic-dialogue-report-2024_en.pdf\">Strategic Dialogue report on the future of EU Agriculture<\/a>; and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/media\/ny3j24sm\/much-more-than-a-market-report-by-enrico-letta.pdf\">Letta Report,<\/a> which focuses on the development of the Single Market. Additionally, the recent <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/5bb2881f-9e29-42f2-8b77-8739b19d047c_en?filename=2024_Niinisto-report_Book_VF.pdf\">Niinist\u00f6 Report<\/a>, which will guide Europe\u2019s civilian and defence preparedness, is also referenced. The incoming Commission will leverage these reports to underpin new proposals and initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>The strategic orientation and concrete directives in each Commissioner-designate portfolio will be thoroughly discussed during the European Parliament\u2019s rigorous screening process, scheduled between November 4<sup>th<\/sup> and 12<sup>th<\/sup>. This process is of high value in democratic and political terms. It will legitimise the Commission and reveal where prospective Commissioners stand on the more sensitive issues of the next five-year agenda.<\/p>\n<p>This policy brief outlines and analyses the revamped structure and key features of the von der Leyen Commission 2.0. More importantly, it offers a comprehensive overview of the mission letters issued to the Commissioners-designate in anticipation of the forthcoming hearings.<\/p>\n<h2>The New Structure of von der Leyen\u2019s Commission 2.0<\/h2>\n<p>Reshuffling of portfolios for a new Commission term is standard practice, necessary to accommodate the growing number of Commissioners and changing priorities. <a href=\"https:\/\/commissioners.ec.europa.eu\/index_en\">The 2019\u20132024 College of Commissioners<\/a> bore some similarities to previous structures but also introduced notable differences. The Commission was directed by the President alongside Executive Vice-presidents (EVPs) and Vice-presidents (VPs). Each one of them was assigned the task of leading groups of Commissioners who focused on specific strategic pillars with a thematic orientation. Key portfolios, such as the European Green Deal, Promoting the European Way of Life, and Stronger Europe in the World, operated under the leadership of an EVP or VP, who in turn reported directly to the Commission President.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/commissioners.ec.europa.eu\/document\/download\/0146cc5f-761f-48ee-8316-a3e92dc3e7ca_en?filename=mission-letter-margrethe-vestager_2019_en.pdf\">mission letters addressed to the 2019-2024 College of Commissioners<\/a> highlighted a clear distinction in structure and roles. Under von der Leyen&#8217;s initial leadership model, eight Vice-presidents were entrusted with guiding and coordinating thematic groups of Commissioners, each focused on one of the Commission\u2019s key priorities, with support provided by the Secretariat-General. Every Commissioner was involved in one or more of these groups, with a notable exception: the Commissioner for Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn, reported directly to the President of the European Commission. Among the eight Vice-presidents, three held the special role of Executive Vice-president, balancing dual responsibilities. These Executive Vice-presidents not only led a specific Commissioners&#8217; Group, but also managed an assigned policy domain, overseeing a Directorate-General within their remit. A unique feature of this structure was that one of the three, First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, assumed the role of chairing the College in the President\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>The von der Leyen Commission 2.0 features an increasingly centripetal organizational structure, reminiscent of presidential systems. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><u>T<\/u>he von der Leyen Commission 2.0 features an increasingly centripetal organizational structure, reminiscent of presidential systems. Vice-presidents are out and the six Executive Vice-presidents (5 + the High Representative, Kaja Kallas) now oversee a select group of Directorates-General and departments, with their influence varying considerably by position. This resulting organizational structure is simpler, eliminating one layer of command and control, i.e. the Vice-presidents. This new organizational architecture is expected to remain irrespective of how the upcoming hearings of the Commissioners-designate play out.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-47357 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-763x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"763\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-763x1024.png 763w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-223x300.png 223w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-768x1031.png 768w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-1144x1536.png 1144w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-215x288.png 215w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-956x1283.png 956w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-661x887.png 661w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-372x500.png 372w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12-596x800.png 596w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b12.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Source: Politico, \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/eu-power-structure-ursula-von-der-leyen-team\/\">Who works for whom in the new EU power structure<\/a>\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Mission Letters in Brief<\/h2>\n<p>Reviewing the complete set of all twenty-six mission letters is a formidable task, even for EU enthusiasts. For this reason, we have compiled a table of concise overviews of the portfolios and the respective missions of the 2024\u20132029 Commissioners-designate.<\/p>\n<table width=\"631\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Commissioner<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><strong>Portfolio<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Mission<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Teresa Ribera Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/5b1aaee5-681f-470b-9fd5-aee14e106196_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20RIBERA.pdf\">Executive VP for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Circular Economy, European Green Deal, growth strategy and competition policy<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Clean Industry Deal<br \/>\n\u2022 European Climate Law: 90% reduction in emissions till 2040<br \/>\n\u2022 Social Climate Fund &amp; Just Transition Fund<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Henna Virkkunen<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/3b537594-9264-4249-a912-5b102b7b49a3_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20VIRKKUNEN.pdf\">Executive VP for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Cybersecurity, AI, Tech Sovereignty and internal security, border management &#8211; frontier technology, EU Digital Norms and Standards Internationally, digital public infrastructure<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Europe\u2019s 2030 Digital Decade Targets<br \/>\n\u2022 AI Strategy \u2013 AI Factories Initiative<br \/>\n\u2022 European Data Union Strategy\u2022 European Democracy Shield<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>St\u00e9phane S\u00e9journ\u00e9<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/6ef52679-19b9-4a8d-b7b2-cb99eb384eca_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20S\u00c9JOURN\u00c9.pdf\">Eexecutive VP for Prosperity and Industrial Sovereignty<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Productivity, Innovation, competitiveness, industrial strategy, horizontal Single Market strategy, research and development, Critical Raw Materials Act<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Clean Industrial Deal<br \/>\n\u2022 European Competitiveness Fund<br \/>\n\u2022 Competitiveness Coordination Tool<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Kaja Kallas<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/1fd85a66-b89a-492b-8855-89499106c1d4_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20KALLAS.pdf\">High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and VP of the European Commission<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Strengthening security and defence, strategic partnerships, joined-up foreign policy<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Preparation of regular College of Commissioners&#8217; debates on foreign policy issues.<br \/>\n\u2022 Modern and joined up FP (new foreign economic policy, external financial instruments)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Roxana M\u00eenzatu<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/27ac73de-6b5c-430d-8504-a76b634d5f2d_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20MINZATU.pdf\">Executive VP for People, Skills and Preparedness<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Training and education, Erasmus+, European Sport Model, Quality Jobs roadmap<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Pillar of Social Rights, New Pact for European Social Dialogue<br \/>\n\u2022 EU Anti-poverty Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 European Affordable Housing Plan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Raffaele Fitto<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/1bf50cbe-45a4-4dc5-9922-52c6c2d3959f_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20FITTO.pdf\">Executive VP for Cohesion and Reforms<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Productivity, innovation, competitiveness, Next GenerationEU, resilience and sustainability<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Effective right to stay for every citizen<br \/>\n\u2022 European Affordable Housing Plan \/ New European Bauhaus Initiative<br \/>\n\u2022 Climate Adaptation Plan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Maro\u0161 \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/4047c277-f608-48d1-8800-dcf0405d76e8_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20\u0160EF\u010cOVI\u010c.pdf\">Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency <\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Competitiveness, security, sustainability, free and fair trade, World Trade Organization, international negotiations, EU and the G7, new economic security doctrine<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Economic Security Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships<br \/>\n\u2022 EU Customs Authority<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Valdis Dombrovskis<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/71c3190f-0886-4202-846e-5750f188f116_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20DOMBROVSKIS.pdf\">Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Stability, Growth, NextGenerationEU, European Semester, competitiveness, digital euro<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Stability and Growth Pact<br \/>\n\u2022 Recovery and Resilience Facility<br \/>\n\u2022 Competitiveness Coordination Tool<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Dubravka \u0160uica<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/24039223-f92e-40a0-a440-a27d9715051a_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20\u0160uica.pdf\">Commissioner for Mediterranean<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Mediterranean, demography, external aspects of migration policy, security, crime, terrorism, Southern Neighbourhood<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 New Pact for the Mediterranean<br \/>\n\u2022 Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Green Tech Cooperation Initiative<br \/>\n\u2022 Reconstruction plan for Gaza<br \/>\n\u2022 Gulf Strategy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Oliv\u00e9r V\u00e1rhelyi<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/b1817a1b-e62e-4949-bbb8-ebf29b54c8bd_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20VARHELYI.pdf\">Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Health and Animal Welfare, European Health Union, modernisation of rules on animal welfare, food safety standards<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Critical Medicines Act<br \/>\n\u2022 European Biotech Act<br \/>\n\u2022 European Health Data Space<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Wopke Hoekstra<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/27658b9f-f1f8-4e3a-b265-1ccbd7c2af82_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20HOEKSTRA.pdf\">Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Climate risks, climate diplomacy, security, ecological transition, emissions trading scheme and taxation<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Climate Law<br \/>\n\u2022 Clean Industrial Deal \/ European Climate Adaptation Plan<br \/>\n\u2022 Revision of the Energy Taxation Directive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Andrius Kubilius<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/1f8ec030-d018-41a2-9759-c694d4d56d6c_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20KUBILIUS.pdf\">Commissioner for Defence and Space<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>European Defence Union, space, military mobility, civil-military, EU-NATO strategy<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 White Paper on the Future of European Defence<br \/>\n\u2022 EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence \/ EU Space Law<br \/>\n\u2022 European Defence Fund \/ European Defence Industrial Strategy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Marta Kos<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/1a2d0ad0-270d-441b-98c8-b6be364d8272_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20KOS.pdf\">Commissioner for Enlargement<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Enlargement, EU neighbourhood policy, Ukraine, Turkey, Balkans, Southern Caucasus<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Gradual integration of candidate countries<br \/>\n\u2022 Black Sea Strategy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Jozef S\u00edkela<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/6ead2cb7-41e2-454e-b7c8-5ab3707d07dd_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20SIKELA.pdf\">Commissioner for International Partnerships<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Clean trade and investment partnerships<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Team Europe approach<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Global Gateway<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Costas Kadis<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/028ce7d5-e328-4416-8f0d-35c8884acaa8_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20KADIS.pdf\">Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Coastal communities, food security, food sovereignty<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Common Fisheries Policy<br \/>\n\u2022 EU Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 Climate Adaptation Plan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Maria Lu\u00eds Albuquerque<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/ac06a896-2645-4857-9958-467d2ce6f221_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20ALBUQUERQUE.pdf\">Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Financing green, social and digital transition, EU as global leader in sustainable finance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Banking Union \/ European Deposit Insurance Scheme<\/p>\n<p>\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 European Savings and Investments Union<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Hadja Lahbib<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/faaf33ff-c8c7-49a1-b01d-56681e11a5e6_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20LAHBIB.pdf\">Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Civil preparedness, integrated approach to crisis management, international humanitarian law, roadmap for women\u2019s rights, antiracist action, LGBTIQ rights, People with Disability Rights, and\u00a0rights of minorities<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 EU Preparedness Union Strategy \/ EU Preparedness Law<br \/>\n\u2022 European Civil Defence Mechanism<br \/>\n\u2022 Gender Equality Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 Anti-racism Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 LGBTIQ Equality Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 Strategy for the Persons with Disabilities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Magnus Brunner<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/ea79c47b-22f8-4390-a119-5115dc40fc3e_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20BRUNNER.pdf\">Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Internal security, strong common borders, migration, fight again organised crime, cybercrime, improvements of Schengen framework<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Internal Security Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 EU Visa-Policy Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 Pact on Migration and Asylum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Jessika Roswall<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/10a1fd18-2f1b-4363-828e-bb72851ffce1_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20ROSWALL.pdf\">Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>European Green Deal, water security and resilience, natural world, bioeconomy, global water leadership<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Water Resilience Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 Climate Adaptation Plan<br \/>\n\u2022 New European Bauhaus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Piotr Serafin<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/db369caa-19e7-4560-96e0-37dc2556f676_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20SERAFIN.pdf\">Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Responsive budget, anti-fraud, modern public administration<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Competitiveness Fund<br \/>\n\u2022 Conditionality Regulation<br \/>\n\u2022 European Anti-Fraud Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Dan J\u00f8rgensen<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/1c203799-0137-482e-bd18-4f6813535986_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20JORGENSEN.pdf\">Commissioner for Energy and Housing<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Energy Union, sustainable and affordable housing<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Affordable Housing Plan<br \/>\n\u2022 Clean Industrial Deal<br \/>\n\u2022 Electrification Action Plan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Ekaterina Zaharieva<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/130e9159-8616-4c29-9f61-04592557cf4c_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20ZAHARIEVA.pdf\">Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Startups, research and development, innovation<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Innovation Council \/ European Research Council<br \/>\n\u2022 European Innovation Act<br \/>\n\u2022 European Research Area<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Michael McGrath<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/907fd6b6-0474-47d7-99da-47007ca30d02_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20McGRATH.pdf\">Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Democracy, Justice and Rule of Law, fairness and integrity, single market<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Democracy Shield<br \/>\n\u2022 Rule of Law Report<br \/>\n\u2022 Consumer Agenda 2025-2030<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Apostolos Tzitzikostas<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/de676935-f28c-41c1-bbd2-e54646c82941_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20TZITZIKOSTAS.pdf\">Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Resilient and competitive tourism sector, sustainable transport <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Trans-European Transport Corridor<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Single Market for Transport Services<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Comprehensive EU Port Strategy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Christophe Hansen<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/2c64e540-c07a-4376-a1da-368d289f4afe_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20HANSEN.pdf\">Commissioner for Agriculture and Food<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Food security, rural areas, food sovereignty<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 European Water Resilience Strategy<br \/>\n\u2022 Vision for Agriculture and Food<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"103\"><strong>Glenn Micallef<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/c8b8682b-ca47-461b-bc95-c98195919eb0_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20MICALLEF.pdf\">Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"348\"><strong>Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness, youth participation, Culture Compass, European Sport Diplomacy<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 Youth Policy Dialogues<br \/>\n\u2022 President\u2019s Youth Advisory Board<br \/>\n\u2022 EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>The Keywords of the new Commission: Presidentialisation, Overlap and Missed Opportunities<\/h2>\n<p>In her re-election speech to the European Parliament and subsequent <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf&amp;trk=public_post_comment-text\">political guidelines for the 2024-2029 European Commission<\/a>, Ursula von der Leyen has outlined a strategic framework of action centred around seven key pillars. These define the focal areas of her vision and include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A New Plan for Europe\u2019s Sustainable Prosperity and Competitiveness<\/li>\n<li>A new era for European Defence and Security<\/li>\n<li>Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model<\/li>\n<li>Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature<\/li>\n<li>Protecting our democracy, upholding our values<\/li>\n<li>A global Europe: Leveraging our power and partnerships<\/li>\n<li>Delivering together and preparing our Union for the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In their in-depth analysis of the political guidelines and mission letters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epc.eu\/content\/Commission_Compendium_v6.pdf\">Levente Kocsis and Eric Maurice,<\/a> identify 194 specific commitments made by the President of the Commission. These commitments are broadly organised across the strategic pillars mentioned in the guidelines, as seen in the following graph, in percentage terms. They also align closely with the priorities defined in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/media\/yxrc05pz\/sn02167en24_web.pdf\">Strategic Agenda<\/a> adopted in June 2024, as well as with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epc.eu\/en\/Publications\/EU-Elections-2024-What-do-party-manifestos-say-on-key-policy-issues~5b3f60\">those of the European political parties<\/a> whose support was essential for von der Leyen\u2019s re-election by the Parliament.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-47358 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-1024x780.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-1024x780.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-300x228.png 300w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-768x585.png 768w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-1536x1170.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-2048x1560.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-378x288.png 378w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-1684x1283.png 1684w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-661x503.png 661w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-500x381.png 500w, https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/\u0395\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd\u03b11-800x609.png 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/epc.eu\/content\/Commission_Compendium_v6.pdf\">Source: EPC, COMPENDIUM EUROPEAN POLITICS AND INSTITUTIONS PROGRAMME 24 OCTOBER 2024<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>When considering the new structure of the Commission (absent of Vice-presidents) in tandem with the study of specific policy areas in each portfolio, three features emerge: increased presidentialisation, continuity of overlapping mandates, and missed opportunities to upgrade policies and streamline Commision\u2019s work.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Presidentialisation<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen\u2019s first term has been characterised by a slow but undoubtable shift of power to the Commission&#8217;s centre, i.e. a presidentialisation of the institution, that is especially poignant compared to the two previous office holders, namely Jos\u00e9 Manuel Barroso and Jean-Claude Juncker (Kassim 2021). The initial presidentialist thrust owes much to the first use of the <em>Spitzenkandidaten<\/em> process in 2014 (Dimitrakopoulos et al. 2024: 8). The multi-faceted and continuous crisis environment, from the global pandemic to the land war at the\u00a0EU\u2019s doorstep, have created windows of opportunity for the incremental centralisation of power and authority in the hands of the Commission President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/ursula-von-der-leyen-europe-commission-brussels-power\/\">(Moens et al 2024)<\/a>. Von der Leyen has capitalised on all the above. This trend conflicts with the traditional Commission ethos of\u00a0<em>purely<\/em>\u00a0collegial pluralism, wherein Commissioners are of\u00a0<em>de facto\u00a0<\/em>equal rank and free to exercise independent judgment, as enshrined in the Treaties (Article 17(8) TEU and Articles 234 and 250 TFEU).<\/p>\n<p>Still, there are references in the Treaties that pave the way for a different conceptualisation of the Commission President&#8217;s role. Such alternative approaches could be justified by the fact that Commission Presidents are elected first (as President-elect) and exercise considerable control over the subsequent composition of the College (Article 17(7) TEU). Furthermore, after the confirmation of the Commissioners, the President retains full control of the body. Their power to unilaterally compel the resignation of an individual Commissioner, except the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is proof of this (Article 18(1) TEU). Finally, the Commission President has wide-ranging organisational powers that allow them to exert significant control over individual Commissioners, whether through re-shuffling of portfolios or division of portfolios (Article 17(6) TEU and Article 248 TFEU) (<a href=\"https:\/\/verfassungsblog.de\/eu-commission-new-von-der-leyen-president\/\">Cotter 2024<\/a>).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8230;centralisation may allow for greater effectiveness, especially in a poly- and perma-crisis environment.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The ongoing centralisation is accompanied by greater politicisation that risks undermining the technocratic nature of the Commission. The fusion of politics and technocracy may be anathema to many, whilst others may see it as a necessary step towards further political integration in the European project. Nevertheless, centralisation may allow for greater effectiveness, especially in a poly- and perma-crisis environment. While acknowledging the legitimacy concerns of such a development, its positive effect may prove catalytic for the association between European demos and the \u2013 oft demonised \u2013 EU institutional architecture.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of one&#8217;s disposition towards the Commission&#8217;s presidentialisation, what appeared to be an unorganized and seemingly improvisational manoeuvre in von der Leyen&#8217;s first term now seems baked into her strategy. The Commission&#8217;s new structure, with its murky portfolios and downgraded Vice-presidents now limited to a seemingly obedient executive role, hints at a transformation of the Commission from a collegial body into a Presidential office, as <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/alemannoEU\/status\/1836684854622048761\">Alberto Alemanno argues<\/a>. This restructuring is designed to drive key priorities forward by simplifying the \u2018line of command\u2019. In the new format, Executive Vice-presidents oversee only a select few Directorates-General and departments, with their influence varying significantly across roles. Certain Commissioners\u2014including \u2018heavy guns\u2019 like former Vice-presidents Valdis Dombrovskis and Maros \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d but also Piotr Serafin who will handle the EU budget \u2018hot potato\u2019 during the Multi-Annual Financial Framework negotiations\u2014will report directly to the President. The new setup clearly indicates a Commission that operates under the strict supervision and guidance of President von der Leyen in most if not all key issues, including economic security and productivity. Thus, <a href=\"https:\/\/server.www.robert-schuman.eu\/storage\/en\/doc\/questions-d-europe\/qe-764-en.pdf\">the structure of the new Commission is clearly hierarchical, which testifies to its further presidentialisation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Overlaps <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Each new College of Commissioners is typically prefaced by discussions around \u201coverlap,\u201d an issue recognised as fact rather than speculation. After successive enlargements, the number of Commissioners now exceeds the scope of EU competences, raising valid questions about the substantive content of certain portfolios. This presents a structural problem that underlies any discussion about the inevitable overlap of individual portfolios.<\/p>\n<p>Clear examples of overlap include <strong>Teresa Ribera Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong>, Executive VP for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition and <strong>St\u00e9phane S\u00e9journ\u00e9<\/strong>, Executive VP for Prosperity and Industrial Sovereignty. The authority of Ribera Rodriguez appears somewhat uncertain. Although officially tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Green Deal, her remit includes control over the powerful <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/about-european-commission\/departments-and-executive-agencies\/competition_en\">Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP)<\/a>, the EU body with exclusive competence over competition; this is a policy area currently being transfigured by economic sovereignty concerns. She is tasked, among others, with the Circular Economy (although there is a Commissioner on Circular Economy: <strong>Jessika Roswall<\/strong>), the European Green Deal, growth strategy and competition policy, the Clean Industry Deal and the Social Climate Fund &amp; Just Transition Fund. Crucially, S\u00e9journ\u00e9, responsible for prosperity and industrial sovereignty (and not competitiveness), is also responsible (among others) for Productivity (as opposed to growth strategy), competitiveness, industrial strategy the Clean Industrial Deal, the European Competitiveness Fund and the Competitiveness Coordination Tool.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, an even more weirded situation exists between <strong>Roxana M\u00eenzatu<\/strong>, Executive VP for People, Skills and Preparedness, in a triple (or more) partial overlap with Executive VP of Cohesion and Reforms <strong>Raffaele Fitto<\/strong>; and Commissioners-designate <strong>Glenn <\/strong>Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport; and <strong>Dan J\u00f8rgensen<\/strong>, Commissioner on Energy and Housing. The first focuses on skills and labour gaps, training and education, Erasmus+, the European Sport Model, the Quality Jobs roadmap, the European Pillar of Social Rights, the New Pact for European Social Dialogue, the EU Anti-poverty Strategy and the European Affordable Housing Plan. The second, Raffaele Fitto, also focuses on the European Affordable Housing Plan and New European Bauhaus Initiative, the Climate Adaptation Plan, competitiveness and NextGenerationEU. Glenn Micallef follows with every youth and culture-related topic before going back to Dan J\u00f8rgensen and sustainable and affordable housing, specifically the European Affordable Housing Plan and the Clean Industrial Deal (among other things).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Maro\u0161 \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d<\/strong>, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, has a portfolio that overlaps with the International Partnerships portfolio of Commissioner <strong>Jozef S\u00edkela<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Executive Vice-president <strong>Henna Virkkunen<\/strong>, overseeing Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, manages a portfolio that intersects significantly with technology\u2014particularly AI\u2014and the strengthening of external borders, especially in relation to managing migration flows. Her role directly references the Pact on Asylum and Migration and is closely aligned with the operations of Frontex. This creates a reciprocal overlap with <strong>Andrius Kubilius<\/strong>, Commissioner for Defence and Space; <strong>Magnus Brunner<\/strong>, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration; and <strong>Dubravka \u0160uica<\/strong>, Commissioner for the Mediterranean, highlighting a cohesive yet complex interrelation across portfolios.<\/p>\n<p>Having already highlighted the overlap between Executive Vice-president <strong>Henna Virkkunen<\/strong> and Commissioner for Defence and Space <strong>Andrius Kubilius<\/strong>, it is essential to address another area of significant overlap\u2014namely, the intersection of foreign policy and defence. <strong>Kaja Kallas<\/strong>, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and VP of the European Commission, among others, also operates with a mandate to strengthen security and defence (focusing on Ukraine, European Defence Union, NATO, and sanctions).<\/p>\n<p>Bearing in mind the above discussion, three features characterise the structure of the new College: overlapping hierarchy; significant differences between executive Vice-presidential portfolios; and reporting lines that run in different directions with several Executive Vice-presidents responsible for several Commissioners and von der Leyen being directly responsible for some parts of the Commissioners\u2019 portfolios (<a href=\"https:\/\/verfassungsblog.de\/commissions-new-structure\/\">Patrin 2024)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Missed Opportunities<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>The new Commission has missed the opportunity to sharpen its objectives and distribute more clearly defined portfolios.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The new Commission has missed the opportunity to sharpen its objectives and distribute more clearly defined portfolios. An example is that of the Belgian Commissioner-designate, <strong>Hadja Lahbib,<\/strong> who is responsible for &#8220;preparedness&#8221;, encompassing mainly prevention and crisis management. However, her portfolio also includes the promotion of gender equality and the combating of discrimination\u2014two areas of competence notably distinct from her primary crisis-related duties, creating some confusion and raising doubts about the rationale behind this competence allocation. Moreover, considering the portfolio of <strong>Oliv\u00e9r V\u00e1rhelyi<\/strong>, integrating public health policy with animal health could inadvertently undermine the efforts within his primary sector\u2014a potentially shortsighted approach. Health policy is intricately connected to economic drivers such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals and is essential in addressing significant challenges, including demographic shifts, the implications of an ageing population, workforce sustainability, and the potential emergence of future health crises, such as pandemics.<\/p>\n<p>A second missed opportunity regards interaction with European citizens. Although the Mission Letters broadly state that the Commission intends to usher in a new era of dialogue with citizens, this commitment is not clearly reflected in the responsibilities assigned in the mission statements. If the new Commission aims to integrate citizens into its work, this priority should have been explicitly incorporated into the Commission\u2019s structure, ideally through the defined role of at least one Executive Vice-President (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epc.eu\/en\/publications\/Reactions-to-the-next-Commission~5d5e58\">Zuleeg and Emmanouilidis, 2024<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the overarching goal of strengthening EU governance, rendered especially important in response to numerous internal and external challenges and the potential expansion to over 30 member states, is notably absent in the new Commission\u2019s structure. This priority is only lightly touched upon in the general section of the Mission Letters and is not evident in the distribution of major portfolios. Such omissions strongly suggest that governance reform within the EU is not a central focus of the second von der Leyen Commission.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8230;a much more centralised, compact and centripetal approach is required. Adopting a more streamlined, hierarchical structure is a strategic decision to enhance proactive and better-coordinated governance within the Commission.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As previously noted, portfolio reshuffling and overlap among Commissioners is not uncommon. On the contrary, it has become the norm. The Treaty-enshrined high number of Commissioners, directly linked with the number of member-states, and the challenge of accommodating all of them in different portfolios remain ongoing concerns. This was a notable feature of the prior political cycle and continues to be so in the new Commission structure. Restructuring and reshuffling have not yet solved the major problem of overlap as evidenced by the priorities of the Commissioners-designate discussed in the first section of this policy brief. The shift toward a more centripetal approach, therefore, may not be an unforeseen or undesirable development, especially given the ambitious and highly complex triptych of <em>\u2018Security, Prosperity, Democracy\u2019 <\/em>put forward by Von der Leyen herself. To achieve these goals, a much more centralised, compact and centripetal approach is required. Given the inevitability of portfolio overlaps, adopting a more streamlined, hierarchical structure is a strategic decision to enhance proactive and better-coordinated governance within the Commission.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>References<\/h2>\n<p>Cotter, J. (2024) \u2018La Commission, c\u2019est moi? The invisible hand of Article 17(6) TEU in the presidentialisation of the European Commission\u2019, 25 September, <a href=\"https:\/\/verfassungsblog.de\/eu-commission-new-von-der-leyen-president\/\">https:\/\/verfassungsblog.de\/eu-commission-new-von-der-leyen-president\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dimitrakopoulos, D., Ceron, M. and\u00a0Christiansen, Th. (2024) \u2018Introduction: The\u00a0Politicisation of\u00a0the\u00a0European Commission\u2019s Presidency\u2019 in Dimitrakopoulos, D., Ceron, M. and\u00a0Christiansen, Th. (eds) <em>The Politicisation of the European Commission\u2019s Presidency Spitzenkandidaten and Beyond<\/em>, Palgrave Macmillan.<\/p>\n<p>Draghi, M., 2024. <em>Report on European Competitiveness.<\/em> Commissioned by the European Commission. Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/topics\/strengthening-european-competitiveness\/eu-competitiveness-looking-ahead_en\">https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/topics\/strengthening-european-competitiveness\/eu-competitiveness-looking-ahead_en<\/a>\u00a0 [Accessed 31 October 2024].<\/p>\n<p>European Parliament, 2014. <em>Letters by President Sassoli to Commission President-elect von der Leyen <\/em>Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/news\/en\/press-room\/20190930IPR62887\/letters-by-president-sassoli-to-commission-president-elect-von-der-leyen\">https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/news\/en\/press-room\/20190930IPR62887\/letters-by-president-sassoli-to-commission-president-elect-von-der-leyen<\/a> [Accessed 31 October 2024].<\/p>\n<p>European Parliament, 2024. <em>Confirmation Hearings Process Overview.<\/em> Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/topics\/en\/article\/20240910STO23870\/how-parliament-s-scrutiny-of-commissioners-designate-has-evolved#what-are-confirmation-hearings-10\">https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu<\/a> [Accessed 31 October 2024].<\/p>\n<p>European Union, 2024. <em>Mission Letters to Commissioners-designate (2024-2029).<\/em> Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/strategy\/documents_en\">https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/strategy\/documents_en<\/a> [Accessed 31 October 2024].<\/p>\n<p>European Council, 2024. <em>Strategic Agenda Adopted by the EU.<\/em> European Council Meeting, June 2024, Brussels. Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/ac_24_3549\">https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/ac_24_3549<\/a> [Accessed 31 October 2024].<\/p>\n<p>Fondation Robert Schuman, 2024. <em>Analysis on the Structure of the von der Leyen II Commission.<\/em> Paris: Fondation Robert Schuman. Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/server.www.robert-schuman.eu\/storage\/en\/doc\/questions-d-europe\/qe-764-en.pdf\">https:\/\/server.www.robert-schuman.eu\/storage\/en\/doc\/questions-d-europe\/qe-764-en.pdf<\/a> [Accessed 31 October 2024].<\/p>\n<p>Kassim, H. (2021) \u2018The European Commission: from collegiality to presidential leadership\u2019, in D. Hodson, U. Puetter, S. Saurugger, and J. Peterson (eds) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordpoliticstrove.com\/view\/10.1093\/hepl\/9780198862222.001.0001\/hepl-9780198862222\"><em>The Institutions of the European Union (5th edn)<\/em>, Oxford: Oxford University Press.\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Kocsis, L. and Maurice, E., 2024. <em>194 Specific Commitments Analysis in European Politics and Institutions Programme.<\/em> EPC Compendium on European Politics, European Policy Centre, Brussels.<\/p>\n<p>Letta, E., 2024. <em>Report on the Future of the Single Market.<\/em> Commissioned by the European Commission. Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/media\/ny3j24sm\/much-more-than-a-market-report-by-enrico-letta.pdf\">https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/media\/ny3j24sm\/much-more-than-a-market-report-by-enrico-letta.pdf<\/a>\u00a0 (Accessed: 31 October 2024).<\/p>\n<p>Moens, B., Griera, M. and Barigazzi, J (2024) \u2018From queen to empress: Inside Ursula von der Leyen\u2019s power grab\u2019, <em>Politico<\/em>, 19 September, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/ursula-von-der-leyen-europe-commission-brussels-power\/\">https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/ursula-von-der-leyen-europe-commission-brussels-power\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Niinist\u00f6, S. (2024)\u00a0<em>Safer Together Strengthening Europe\u2019s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness, Report by Sauli Niinist\u00f6, former President of the Republic of Finland, In his capacity as Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission,<\/em>\u00a0<em>European Commission<\/em>. 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Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf&amp;trk=public_post_comment-text\">https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/document\/download\/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf&amp;trk=public_post_comment-text<\/a> (Accessed: 31 October 2024).<\/p>\n<p>von der Leyen, U., 2024. <em>Re-election Speech to the European Parliament.<\/em> European Parliament, Strasbourg, 4 July.<\/p>\n<p>von der Leyen, U. (2019) <em>Misson Letter Margrethe Vestager<\/em>, <em>European Commission<\/em>. Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/commissioners.ec.europa.eu\/document\/download\/0146cc5f-761f-48ee-8316-a3e92dc3e7ca_en?filename=mission-letter-margrethe-vestager_2019_en.pdf\">https:\/\/commissioners.ec.europa.eu\/document\/download\/0146cc5f-761f-48ee-8316-a3e92dc3e7ca_en?filename=mission-letter-margrethe-vestager_2019_en.pdf<\/a>(Accessed: 01 November 2024).<\/p>\n<p>Zuleeg, F. and Emmanouilidis, J. (2024)\u00a0<em>Reactions to the next commission<\/em>,\u00a0<em>EPC &#8211; European Policy Centre<\/em>. Available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epc.eu\/en\/publications\/Reactions-to-the-next-Commission~5d5e58\">https:\/\/www.epc.eu\/en\/publications\/Reactions-to-the-next-Commission~5d5e58<\/a>\u00a0 (Access<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The policy brief outlines the strategic vision and structural reorganisation of the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen\u2019s second term. Emphasising &#8220;Security, Prosperity, and Democracy,&#8221; von der Leyen\u2019s Commission 2.0 consolidates power through a streamlined, centralised structure with six Executive Vice-Presidents, aiming for a more responsive and efficient EU. Each Commissioner has been assigned [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":47359,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[],"program":[17],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47354"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47354"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47363,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47354\/revisions\/47363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47354"},{"taxonomy":"program","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eliamep.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program?post=47354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}