European Commissioner Hearings

The tit-for-tat blockade for Swedish Environment Commissioner-designate Jessika Roswall (EPP) and Belgian Crisis Commissioner nominee Hadja Lahbib (Renew) has made its way to a top-level meeting. The four-way parlay is set to discuss the US election outcome between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the party heads of EPP, Renew and S&D, several sources have told Euractiv.

A double confirmation initially scheduled for 14:30 has been delayed until 16:30, with involved negotiators highlighting "two missing elements" and others pointing to issues with portfolio allocation.
 
A non-involved negotiator described the process as "hostage taking." Party sources informed Euractiv that the EPP harbours serious reservations about Lahbib, suggesting she represented her own political agenda rather than European interests.

The health and animal welfare portfolio allocation to Hungary's Commissioner-designate Olivér Várhelyi has come up as part of the negotiations, as S&D is advocating to move competence from the health committee to ENVI.

Roswall has been held back since Tuesday night (5 November) after a hearing deemed “unsatisfactory” by attendees, who felt their questions were either dodged or answered with platitudes.

*Niko Kurmayer contributed reporting