The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asked the EU member states to propose two candidates for the new composition of the executive body by August 30, reports AFP. She made the request in a letter quoted by Focus.
Each EU member state will nominate one member for the College of Commissioners, which will form the political leadership of the European Commission for the next five-year term. Von der Leyen expressed a desire for each country to nominate both a man and a woman, unless the current commissioner remains in the new line-up. The aim is to ensure gender parity in the commission.
Von der Leyen plans to start talks with candidates in mid-August. Each candidate will be heard by the specialized committees of the European Parliament, and the entire composition of the Commission will have to be approved by the MEPs.