Worst moments: In Libya, a global arms embargo pushed by Germany and the EU is widely seen as unenforced. Share. All of a sudden, it seems that the supposed new technocratic administration may be a little more politically active than initially expected. Other countries that also struggle to deal with migration were jealous that Greece got such a swift and strong display of solidarity from Brussels and Schinas got credit for masterminding it. Phil HoganResigned as commissioner for trade. What comes next: The fate of the Migration Pact has yet to be decided but old divisions among member countries over the highly sensitive issue have resurfaced in recent weeks. Performance review: There are no other commissioners in the EU’s history that can say they turned 30 on the job. Grade B. Performance review: After a quiet few first months, Reynders found his groove on rule of law issues as tensions peaked between the EU and its bête noire members Poland and Hungary. And there is a new opportunity to pressure China to become a more constructive partner. But it will take much more than an adequate leader to transform the EU into a geopolitical power. The Commission is appealing both rulings. Grade A-. Várhelyi will ultimately be judged on whether would-be members, including countries already in talks such as Serbia and Montenegro, move closer to the EU on his watch. Every commissioner reviewed and rated. Von der Leyen … Grade B. Performance review: Overshadowed by von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, who have each taken a strong hand in international relations, Borrell has struggled to project the EU as a relevant force when it comes to nuts-and-bolts policymaking in the global arena. Performance review: Von der Leyen and her Commission had barely crossed the threshold of 100 days in office when they were hit with the once-in-100-years public health catastrophe and an economic shock unprecedented in modern times. Mariya GabrielCommissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint news conference with EU Council President Charles Michel after … What comes next: With a December strategy due on clean and sustainable mobility, Valean will have to prove her department is willing to implement the necessary contributions. Although a budget deal among EU leaders did cut cohesion funding, it still stood at a chunky €330 billion, with a €47.5 billion top-up made available via a new REACT-EU program as part of the coronavirus recovery fund. While the EU’s competence in health and other matters is limited, Lenarčič will be challenged in pushing national capitals to react correctly. In a speech on Wednesday, the former EU Brexit negotiator appeared to make a veiled swipe at Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Borrell was similarly blunt in saying the EU could not rely solely on soft power, in rubbishing U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, and even conceding that the EU had dropped the ball on Belarus sanctions. Working with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, von der Leyen will have a crucial role in rebuilding transatlantic relations and using the renewed partnership to address festering problems such as dysfunction in the World Trade Organization. %%EOF Borrell has managed to keep the Iran nuclear deal on life support in time for a new U.S. president, Joe Biden, to potentially help salvage it. Worst moments: Sinkevičius hasn’t impressed as much with the oceans part of his portfolio. 743 0 obj <> endobj %PDF-1.6 %���� Grade B+. Until that happens, a big part of his work is effectively frozen. “One graphic is worth one thousand negotiating hours,” Feirreira wrote. {�D�P�'͖4A�&ݲ�A�t�E�T�n�~�)%ð�0�I�w�ޑG�� Ai"I*�6"�(�1E��+�U�VS�"�Kc��+J�h�b�Q6�d��h�`e>�t�z�#N�. Janusz Wojciechowski Commissioner for agriculture. Who’s top of the class and who flunked the first year? Since 26 fresh-faced commissioners and one president took office on December 1 last year, even the Commission’s youngest members have been aged by the coronavirus pandemic. Best moments: Don’t underestimate the achievement in the Commission setting its eyes on a 55 percent cut to EU emissions by 2030, a goal that would have been politically unimaginable even one year ago. (He tweets rarely in English, mostly about internal Polish debates.). He claimed the dubious award of most prolific Twitter user out of all the commissioners, but one who achieves very little impact. Performance review: Despite being in the shadow of Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans, Simson has managed to establish herself as a discreet but effective commissioner by rolling out a slew of new, well-received strategies on time and as promised, including for hydrogen, energy system integration, methane, renovation and offshore renewable energy. Kyriakides repeatedly warned countries (accompanied with detailed guidance) to prepare for a second wave, but they ignored her. Worst moments: Von der Leyen has struggled most in moments when she couldn’t be found. Grade C. Best moment: Gabriel backed the right horse in the EU budget fight: she was vocal in her support for the European Parliament’s campaign for extra money for research and education, which was ultimately successful in getting nearly €6 billion extra for programs she will oversee. His hearing in the European Parliament was also a masterclass in how to please political opposition and repudiate allegations of corruption. The resignation of Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan was embarrassing but gave von der Leyen the chance to appoint a female successor, Mairead McGuinness — taking the Commission to 13 women out of 27 commissioners. And last spring, a dismissive reference to so-called “coronabonds” in an interview with German news agency DPA caused a furor in Italy with even European Parliament President David Sassoli demanding a clarification. 1. In a Figaro interview, she said she would fight for Europeans to “live their third age in a more interesting and dynamic way.”. She will also have to oversee the implementation of the European Democracy Action Plan, her upcoming strategy that will set the path for legislation on political advertising, measures against disinformation online and efforts to foster media pluralism. Best moment: In July, Urpilainen launched the “Global Monitor of COVID-19’s impact on Democracy and Human Rights,” an interactive online tool that shows how governments worldwide are dealing with citizens’ rights during the pandemic — naming and shaming countries using the virus to clamp down on democracy. And her team stirred unnecessary controversy by not being forthright when von der Leyen left Brussels to self-isolate because of a coronavirus risk. Copy link. Frans TimmermansExecutive vice president for the European Green Deal. �N���R�� j,�f/a��X�϶NP� ���1�C���&�p#����l@f00�� im�� ����#��U�� ��8� “We can be the shapers of a better global order”, she said. Worst moments: Even before “golfgate,” Hogan was a weakened figure, having bungled his bid for the world’s top trade job at the World Trade Organization. “People holding the highest executive offices should be aware of the fact that what they say in public, and it includes social network platforms like Twitter, resonates, and that prudence should be the rule … I’m afraid that some of those tweets that we saw did not contribute to the positive image of Slovenia in Brussels or Washington,” he said. “If we continue at this snail’s pace, it will take almost 100 years to achieve equality,” she said. Ursula von der Leyen Commission president. Josep Borrell EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. Performance review: Vestager’s star no longer shines as bright as before as she had to face a few crushing court defeats in 2020, but she still managed a few wins. Best moments: The early days of the coronavirus crisis, when he took a leadership role to coordinate the industry response to shortages in medical supplies. Next year, the Belgian will have to force the hand of both British legislators and the incoming Biden administration to reform surveillance laws in the U.K. and U.S. if these countries are to see data sharing flow smoothly with Europe. If you have any other question or need extra help, please feel free to contact us or use the search box/calendar for any clue. Some place the blame on Johansson, while also acknowledging the pact was a joint effort with Vice President Margaritis Schinas so any responsibility should be shared with him. Listen to this story Share page. Worst moments: The gender equality strategy she issued in March mainly repeated existing legislative plans that are blocked in the Council. And when handling migration, described by some diplomats as possibly the most toxic dossier in town, that’s already an achievement. Latest news, analysis and comment on security in Europe and beyond. Performance review: Von der Leyen’s focus on Africa, the coronavirus pandemic and the planned reform of the EU’s migration strategy brought Urpilainen some welcome attention for the development portfolio. But a scandal over his attendance at a swanky golf dinner that breached Ireland’s coronavirus rules cost him his job, and he ends the year as an unemployed amateur golfer. Grade C. Best moments: Vestager was at the front of the EU’s drive to revive the pandemic-stricken economy, as her team swiftly relaxed aid rules to allow countries to deal with the coronavirus crisis. Mairead McGuinness Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and the Capital Markets Union. Critics said it pandered to the far right by suggesting refugees and migrants were a threat to Europe. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. Amid the crisis, von der Leyen has tried to keep a focus on top priorities like the European Green Deal and digitalization while also pushing, with some success, to improve gender parity in the College and senior civil service. Her father Ernst Albrecht worked as one of the first European civil servants from the establishment of the European Commission in 1958, first as chef de cabinet to the European commissioner for competition Hans von der Groeben in the Hallstein Commission, and then as director-general of the Directorate-General for Competi… But it got far worse when he erred by attending the golf dinner, then refused to apologize, got pulled over by police for using his mobile phone while driving, failed to quarantine when he arrived in Ireland from Belgium, and inflamed the whole thing in a car-crash TV interview that turned his own government against him. She displayed a pragmatic approach in a case against chipmaker Broadcom, using a long-forgotten legal tool to force the company to change its behavior. But on November 27th the parliament nodded through Ms von der Leyen’s commission by 461 votes to 157. Performance review: Transport commissioners aren’t usually thrust to the forefront of continental crises, but Vălean blossomed in the face of the coronavirus — cutting a central figure in efforts to loosen the flow of traffic across borders and get people with canceled trips their money back. It will take office on December 1st, one month later than planned. What comes next: Should it ever get over the finish line, Hahn will play an important role when it comes to implementing the new budget from 2021. Though that move was outside his control, Hahn — who is also currently busy negotiating details of the EU’s budget for 2021, the first year under the new budget cycle — is now faced with the very real threat that on January 1 there is still no budget deal, meaning the EU’s spending must shift into emergency mode. The difficulty is that he has burnt his bridges in Ireland and Brussels. First female Commission president. Worst moments: McGuinness has not really hit the ground running and seems intent on getting up to speed by first meeting regulators and industry. On the economy, he’ll have to pivot from anything-goes firefighting to rebuilding the “Stability and Growth Pact” on deficits and debt. Dombrovskis will also have to prove whether he can improve transatlantic trade relations, so that he can turn his attention eastward and deal with China’s state-led economy. Worst moments: Criticism of Suica’s social conservatism re-emerged after her appointment hearing in the European Parliament. Jacopo Barigazzi, Hannah Brenton, Laurens Cerulus, Hanne Cokelaere, Maïa de La Baume, Jillian Deutsch, Mari Eccles, Andrew Gray, Laura Greenhalgh, Louise Guillot, Jakob Hanke Vela, Melissa Heikkilä, America Hernandez, Aitor Hernández-Morales, David M. Herszenhorn, Laura Kayali, Thibault Larger, Karl Mathiesen, Barbara Moens, Arthur Neslen, Christian Oliver, Joshua Posaner, John Rega, Eline Schaart, Bjarke Smith-Meyer, Paola Tamma, Simon Van Dorpe, Hans von der Burchard, Zosia Wanat and Eddy Wax contributed to this article. Ursula von der Leyen has today named a team of 26 people to serve with her on the next European Commission, one from each member state. Von der Leyen is a perfectly adequate Commission president and before the Article 16 mistake she had not made any major errors. Olivér VárhelyiCommissioner for neighborhood and enlargement. What comes next: Trade wonks look forward to the EU’s trade policy review, which will be a first chance for Dombrovskis to leave his mark on how the EU will use its economic power. Jutta Urpilainen Commissioner for international partnerships. As president of the European Commission, von der Leyen is head of the EU executive, while, as European Council president, Charles represents member state governments. Worst moments: He promised a permanent EU-wide safety net for the jobless would be delivered by the end of this year, but this has disappeared from the Commission’s to-do list — substituted by the SURE program, which is loans-based and temporary. On financial services, he was quick to propose legislation to give banks and investment firms room for maneuver during the pandemic. Schinas has said repeatedly that Europe cannot fail twice on migration, following the crisis of 2015-16. Mother of seven children. Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond. Evelyn Regner, chair of the European Parliament’s gender and women’s rights committee, did not mince her words after Dalli’s press conference. Another low point came when he said Europe had lost the battle to use personal data: Commission officials took offense at what they saw as undermining one of their proudest achievements, the GDPR, while Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems said that Breton’s Data Governance Act risked undermining the GDPR. Moving the goalposts has cheered Paris but strained regulatory relations with unpredictable results for finance. Grade A-. President von der Leyen was appointed by national leaders and elected by the European Parliament after she presented her Political Guidelines. Performance review: Stars have not aligned this year for Šuica with her major duty — the Conference on the Future of Europe exercise looking at fundamental reforms to the EU. The new year and the changing coronavirus dynamics should create space for her own personal touch. The new Commission's priorities were sketched out in von der Leyen's political guidelines, presented Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. Best moments: The fact that Lenarčič on January 29 held a joint news conference to announce that the Commission had activated its own internal crisis response mechanism to the pandemic allowed him to later reject accusations that the Commission was not prepared. What comes next: With the EU budget deal (nearly) over the line, Gabriel’s main task in 2021 becomes overseeing the implementation of the Horizon Europe program, which may see her shrink further into the background alongside other bureaucratic commissioners. Attended the European School in the suburb of Uccle, graduating two years before Boris Johnson joined the same establishment. Grade B. In a little-registered video address to a conference in Polish Silesia, Timmermans outlined the family connection to the coal industry that shaped his motivations. Worst moments: Bulgaria’s block on the launch of membership talks with North Macedonia due to a bilateral dispute over language and identity dealt a blow to the Commission’s aim of starting negotiations before year-end. Grade: incomplete. The commissioner convinced countries to let Brussels negotiate and purchase coronavirus vaccines on their behalf, fought for an increased health budget and spearheaded a plan for countries to give Brussels more power to act in health emergencies. In the year that brought a health crisis, an economic crisis and rewrote social and working norms, who’s had the best year in the Berlaymont and who’s struggled to make their mark? Paolo Gentiloni Commissioner for the economy. Worst moments: In recent days, the Migration Pact has started to look not so novel, as old and deep divisions among member countries have come to the fore once again. In June, he put forward a proposal to strengthen the EU’s crisis management system, in part in response to what happened with Italy. In October, the Commission indicated it would withdraw the plan “on the grounds of it becoming obsolete.” However, this was arguably a small defeat offset by a larger victory — as the planned recovery fund is a much larger joint pot of EU money, even if it is meant to be temporary. Grade E. Best moments: Before the calamitous and avoidable end to his career in Brussels, Hogan did squeeze through a mini-trade deal on lobsters with the U.S., which was seen as an attempt to calm trade tensions. Since then, she’s been busy learning the ropes but has yet to really stamp her authority on the agenda. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on German politics. Best moments: When Schmit revealed in an interview with POLITICO that the Commission planned to collectively borrow up to €100 billion for a European unemployment support scheme (SURE) to back up national governments’ furlough initiatives. Worst moments: Aside from the first weeks when the pandemic broke, exposing many EU weaknesses, another low point for Lenarčič came after the U.S. election. Throughout the pandemic, Kyriakides was a voice of reason, especially this summer as she warned countries to get prepared for an upcoming resurgence in coronavirus cases. Worst moments: The Commission’s “quick fix” for securities markets managed to slip in some clauses rolling back investor protections. He also pushed hard to table legislation on minimum wages in the EU in the face of fierce opposition. Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. All of this allows the former Commission chief spokesman to display his communication skills and his eye for a media opportunity: After a meeting with religious leaders in November, he reassured children that Santa Claus will be able to cross borders to bring them gifts despite the coronavirus. Von der Leyen's spokesman said afterwards that Turkey had breached protocol by failing to offer her a chair, as it has done to other male commission presidents in the … Performance review: With 2020 bringing the endgame for once-in-seven-years EU budget negotiations, Hahn’s first year in the new office was high-stakes — even before the coronavirus crisis raised the importance of the budget even further. An October Parliament session made for painful watching as a largely silent Simson got panned by MEPs over Brussels’ failure to exclude fossil fuels from investment protection under the Energy Charter Treaty. Worst moments: The commissioner found herself in the unfortunate position of being the first member of the von der Leyen Commission to announce a positive coronavirus test, which resulted in a swift move to tighten rules on meetings and prevent further infections among staff. Von der Leyen was born in 1958 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium, where she lived until she was 13 years old. Best moment: Šefčovič’s big battery gambit — a project he started during the last mandate but has held on to — started paying off this year. This clue was last seen on February 20 2021 on New York Times’s Crossword. A recurring criticism of Várhelyi is that he is too sensitive to Hungarian interests, rather than the EU’s as a whole. On this page you will find the solution to ___ von der Leyen first female head of the European Commission who negotiated Brexit for the E.U. hޤTo�6���g�! Worst moment: When Hungary and Poland threw a spanner in the works by blocking that deal over rule of law concerns. Grade C. Best moments: A January press conference, at which the former mayor of Dubrovnik urged the EU to “be bold, creative and embrace together the innovative nature” of the Conference on the Future of Europe. The EU’s pivot to Africa, interrupted by coronavirus, begs for reinvigoration once the pandemic eases. The Commission launched its first regulation already and is preparing the Data Act for next year, which will set rules for sharing. Grade B. Dombrovskis also took over the portfolio of the departing Phil Hogan in the beginning of October. When negotiators finalized an agreement with the European Parliament in early November, the Austrian politician was closely involved in the technical negotiations. He is tasked with making good on von der Leyen’s pledge to make sure all EU citizens have access to a fair minimum wage. But then the coronavirus has derailed much of his policy work, leaving him largely untested on issues that threaten to divide the EU. The European Commission hit out Wednesday at a diplomatic snub that left its head Ursula von der Leyen without a chair as male counterparts sat down at a … Some also still blame her for voting against the Parliament’s effort to trigger Article 7 against Hungary in 2018 when she was an MEP. Performance review: Timmermans doubled down on the Green Deal even as the pandemic put Europe’s political and economic agenda in a headlock. Worst moment: The commissioner in June took the stage to present the institution’s plans on combating racism amid a wave of Black Lives Matter protests in Europe and the U.S., but Reynders failed to adequately apologize for dressing in blackface while in office as Belgian foreign minister in 2015. Performance review: Von der Leyen and her Commission had barely crossed the threshold of 100 days in office when they were hit with the once-in-100-years public health catastrophe and an economic shock unprecedented in modern times. Grade C. Best moments: Reynders got some behind-the-scenes support for a bid to take up the trade portfolio when Ireland’s Phil Hogan left his seat. Ylva JohanssonCommissioner for home affairs. Grade B. Grade A-. Tensions with Turkey remain extremely high. It’s been a turbulent year for Ursula von der Leyen’s Class of 2019. What comes next: Avoiding that a third wave of the pandemic turns into another nightmare. She’ll also have to master reviews of bank and insurance capital standards. Worst moments: Vestager had two major defeats at the EU General Court, which overturned her decision ordering Ireland to recover €13 billion in unpaid taxes from Apple and annulled the decision to block a major telecoms merger (CK Hutchison’s takeover of O2 UK). A former Slovenian ambassador to the EU, Lenarčič was outraged when his country’s prime minister, Janez Janša, continued to promote pro-Trump conspiracy theories after prematurely declaring Donald Trump the winner. Ursula von der Leyen is the person who is the first woman to serve as the president of the European Commission, and she has an extraordinarily different and unusual background. But perhaps the worst moment was when the European Parliament gave Borrell a dressing down over the handling of a report on disinformation by China. What comes next: The former European Parliament vice president will have to prove her mettle with big upcoming legislative proposals on nonperforming loans and green finance. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on French politics. Best moments: Kyriakides proved Brussels can be a steady and efficient hand in making health decisions. Stella Kyriakides Commissioner for health and food safety. What comes next: Data — Breton’s current obsession. While there have been setbacks, including an ongoing standoff with Hungary and Poland over rule of law, the joint debt component of the plan is historic and means von der Leyen has already achieved more toward boosting EU integration than most presidents can hope for in a five-year term. Grade B for unobtrusive performance. Grade B+. Address. In 2021 she’ll have her hands full with the Fit for 55 legislation that has to deliver the bloc’s 2030 emissions-slashing goal. Best moments: Amid serious limitations outside his control, Borrell’s greatest strength is his brutal candor, speaking hard truths to audiences not always receptive to straight talk. What comes next: Hogan already suggested his “political chapter” is over but the 60-year-old is still relatively young. Performance review: At the wheel during a momentous year for the agriculture sector, Wojciechowski unfortunately often seemed to be asleep. She also opened probes into Apple and Amazon, returning to what she does best: headline-grabbing cases targeting Big Tech. Before all that, Timmermans will be hoping for an elusive deal on the higher climate goals at this December’s Council summit. She even attended a summit of the "Friends of Cohesion" — a group of mostly Southern and Eastern countries — in her home-country of Portugal last January. Even though the heavy lifting in negotiations was done by Chancellor Angela Merkel and her German Council presidency, Hahn played a crucial role in representing the Commission and trying to bridge a compromise.