The commissioners-to-be facing tough Parliamentary hearings
After Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her team of commissioners and their portfolios on Tuesday (17 September), the European Parliament is now getting ready to scrutinise the proposed candidates.
First, the commissioner-designates will be grilled by the Parliament’s legal affairs committee (JURI) for conflicts of interest. Next, they will face intense questioning from the committees related to their portfolios, undergoing a political assessment of their fitness for the job.
But even before the hearings get underway, likely in mid-October, skeletons in some of the candidates’ closets are coming to light.
Hadja Lahbib, Belgium – Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality
Current Belgian foreign affairs minister Lahbib is likely to face tough questioning over a controversial track record.
In 2021, Lahbib visited Crimea while working as a journalist. She told Belgian television that she had been “to Russia” and later dodged questions about whether she had returned “from Ukraine or Russia,” saying that a Russian visa was required to land at Simferopol airport.
Later, as foreign minister, Lahbib’s ministry issued visas to a 14-member Iranian delegation, including Tehran’s mayor, for the Brussels Urban Summit.
While the incident did not force her resignation, Brussels secretary of state Pascal Smet stepped down after accusations that he pressured the Foreign Ministry to grant the visas and misused Belgian funds for the delegation’s accommodation.
Oliver Várhelyi, Hungary – Health and Animal Welfare
Outgoing enlargement commissioner Várhelyi is set to face intense scrutiny from MEPs, whom he infamously called “idiots” during a ‘hot-mic’ moment in 2023.
Other issues Várhelyi will need to address include his controversial announcement on X that the EU would suspend funds to Palestine – a statement later rejected by the Commission.
Additionally, the Parliament previously called for an investigation into whether his actions and policies align with EU standards amid accusations that he was undermining the importance of democratic and rule-of-law reforms in countries seeking EU membership.
Raffaele Fitto, Italy – Cohesion and Reforms
The Italian nominee, Raffaele Fitto, will face significant opposition due to his party affiliation. Many are wary of an ECR member holding an executive vice presidency in the new Commission.
He is less likely to face questions about previous bribery and corruption allegations, as the Italian judicial system has cleared him of all charges.
Nonetheless, a study from OpenPolis has found that his record as minister overseeing the national recovery and resilience fund may be called into question, particularly as Italy faces delays in implementing its plans and struggles with transparency and data availability.
Dubravka Šuica, Croatia – Mediterranean
The incumbent Commission vice-president for democracy and demography will face a grilling over her expenditure on official visits throughout her tenure. Šuica reportedly spent €360,000 on 148 trips between 2019 and 2024, according to an investigation by Index.
Nearly 60 of these trips were to Zagreb, and 23 were to her native Dubrovnik. One trip to Zagreb, costing €1,215, was for a guest appearance on a podcast hosted by the private Libertas University.
Maroš Šefčovič, Slovakia – Trade and Economic Security Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency
Parliament will know that with his reconfirmation as Slovakia’s commissioner, current Vice-President Šefčovič would become the longest-serving commissioner in EU history, surpassing Germany’s Wilhelm Haferkamp.
His new portfolio, which includes transparency, has drawn criticism from Transparency International Slovakia for his past issues with campaign spending disclosures and failing to complete an asset declaration.
Šefčovič’s prominent brief is “not due to the success of the Slovak government… but it is clearly due to his famously great relationship with Ursula von der Leyen,” Slovakian Renew MEP Lucia Yar told Euractiv.
Ekaterina Zaharieva, Bulgaria – Startups, Research, and Innovation
The former Bulgarian foreign minister must address accusations of involvement in a scam that allowed thousands to obtain Bulgarian passports for cash, enabling visa-free travel across the EU.
The scandal, originally exposed by Euractiv in 2018, faded from the spotlight after the nationalist VMRO party – responsible for orchestrating the scheme and linked to Zaharieva – was ousted from power.
Whistleblower Katia Mateva recently told Euractiv that despite providing significant evidence, the State Agency for National Security (DANS) has effectively swept the case under the rug.
Marta Kos, Slovenia – Enlargement
Kos, who became Slovenia’s nominee as part of von der Leyen’s broader effort to achieve gender balance, will likely need to address some recent accusations.
As reported by Euronews, Romana Tomc, head of the Slovenian Democratic Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, labelled Kos an unacceptable choice due to her alleged connections with the former Yugoslav secret police. Kos has since denied the allegations.
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