Two of the three main European institutions, the Commission and the European Parliament, will be headed by women for the second consecutive term in this new legislature. Another woman, Estonian Kaja Kallas, will, if confirmed, lead the EU’s foreign and security policy, one of the most responsible positions in Brussels, especially in the current war situation. But the glass ceiling is still far from being broken in Europe. The more than symbolic attempt by the head of the European Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, to form a gender-equal team again (that is, neither gender exceeds 60%, a goal that was almost achieved in her first term) has failed before it even began. Most States have ignored her call to propose two names (a man and a woman) for the post of commissioner so that she can put together a balanced team.
With Denmark’s announcement on Wednesday that it will propose a man as a candidate for commissioner, the current Minister for Development and Climate Action, Dan Jorgensen, there are now 17 countries that have officially presented a male candidate for the European Executive. Only six (in addition to Germany with Von der Leyen) have opted for a woman. Among these are Spain, which confirmed on Wednesday the candidacy of Vice President Teresa Ribera, and Portugal, which proposed on Wednesday the former Minister of Finance Maria Luis Alburquerque. There are still three countries to reveal their candidate: Italy, which is expected to do so on Friday, when the official deadline for presenting a candidate ends, but the betting is on a man. Also missing are Belgium and Bulgaria, which will probably do so after the deadline.
In any case, at this point, parity seems impossible in this new team, which Von der Leyen still has to validate and the European Parliament ratify a few weeks later.
“A male-dominated Commission indicates Von der Leyen’s inability to impose her will on capitals at the start of a new mandate, thus accepting that national interests [la selección unilateral de los Estados de su comisario] take precedence over the general interest of the EU [una Comisión con equilibrio de género]“, warns Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law and Politics at HEC Paris, in X.
The damage is not only at home. It is a “missed opportunity” for the EU and its external image, laments Jéromine Andolfatto, EU gender policy officer at the European Women’s Lobby, an organisation that defends women’s interests at European level. “It is time for Europe to walk the talk. If it wants to be a world leader in equality or women’s rights, the EU should have taken this as an opportunity to send a strong message that equality is not negotiable and that the EU will lead by example, not just with words, but also with concrete actions,” she says by phone.
“I don’t know with what legitimacy we are going to demand compliance with certain democratic standards, both inside and outside Europe, if we ourselves are not capable of respecting them,” agrees Socialist MEP Lina Gálvez, who will chair the European Parliament’s committee for women’s rights and gender equality (Femm) during this term.
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The decision by most states to ignore Von der Leyen’s request also comes at a time when the far right is on the rise across Europe, including in the European elections. “I find it particularly serious that this is not taken into account,” [la paridad] “as a priority in the formation of institutions at a time of attacks on democracy, where anti-democratic movements are, worldwide, anti-equality and against gender equality policies, against feminism and women,” criticises the MEP.
Another step back
The European Parliament, to which Gálvez and her colleagues in the hemicycle are preparing to return to begin preparing for the new political cycle – one of the priority tasks at the beginning of this year will be the confirmation (or not) of the new commissioners – cannot boast of being feminist purple either, despite the fact that it will be chaired by another woman, Roberta Metsola. The European Parliament 2024-29 has come within a whisker of the 40% of women that is the minimum percentage (according to the European directives on gender equality) to consider that there is gender balance. And it takes another step back – a whole percentage point – with respect to the ratio of men to women in the last legislative session. It is also the first time that the statistical curve has fallen after the slow and difficult progress of women in the European institutions, as can be seen in the portraits of its leaders that flood the corridors of the Brussels institutions.
It is not just a question of the number of women among the 720 new MEPs: inequality is also marked in the distribution of tasks, where the presence of women is much lower in the most important committees, such as those on economics, budgets or international affairs. “There is horizontal segregation,” complains Andolfatto. All this when, she recalls, “there is a legal obligation in the European treaties to guarantee equality between men and women and to integrate the gender perspective into European policies.”
But can the masculinisation of the Commission still be reversed? According to Alemanno, there is room for improvement: “From a legal point of view, von der Leyen’s approval is needed so that the final agreement can be finalised and the team of candidates for commissioner can be presented for a vote in the European Parliament,” she says.
But there is a problem: gender is not one of the reasons for rejecting a candidate, since parity is not stipulated as a requirement in the treaties. Von der Leyen has been talking intensively with almost all capitals in recent weeks. According to the Times of Malta, The German is said to be pushing for the island to withdraw its nominee, the little-known Glenn Micallef, and consider replacing him with a woman. Helena Dalli is Malta’s current representative on the outgoing Commission, in the Equality portfolio.
Another of the proposals floating around Brussels these days is for Von der Leyen to give the most important portfolios to female candidates, who could also be appointed vice-presidents. And that does fall within her remit. “It would send a strong signal, it would be a way for Von der Leyen to regain the narrative,” says Andolfatto. However, gender is not the only factor she will have to consider when composing her team: she must also maintain geographical balance and take into account the weight of the countries.
There are also those who hope that Parliament will reject some candidates during the confirmation process. After all, the rules clearly stipulate that “Parliament will pay special attention to the balance between men and women.” However, Gálvez sees it as difficult. “Reject some male commissioners? Which ones, on what basis? If we are seeking justice, we cannot commit an injustice along the way,” she warns, while pointing out that, with the current distribution of MEPs, where almost a third come from the far right, this would also be almost impossible.
The lack of parity threatens to tarnish an already complex new mandate. “Gender equality is not charity, political correctness or something to appease feminists,” stresses Andolfatto. “It is about ensuring that the decisions that are going to be taken for all Europeans are efficient, effective and representative, and it is good politics. Many studies show that a more diverse leadership infrastructure makes better policies.” Von der Leyen couldn’t agree more. Even if she is not allowed to prove it.
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