Hungarian FM’s EU Commissioner post revealed

Hungarian nominee Tibor Navracsics is to take the post of ‘Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship’ in the new EU Commission. The list of who will occupy what post in the College of Commissioners was made public this Wednesday.

European Commission (EC) President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker has unveiled the next European Union executive for the 2014-2019 period. The team will have to be approved by the European Parliament. As it turns out, Hungary’s Tibor Navracsics will not be Commissioner for Trade or Commissioner for Customs, as suggested by previous press reports, but Juncker surprisingly picked him to be Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship.

“After the European Union has come through one of the most testing periods in its history, one of the biggest challenges will be to convince citizens that things will change. To deliver change, the Commission needs to be open to reform. The new European Commission will be streamlined to focus on tackling the big political challenges Europe is facing: getting people back to work in decent jobs, triggering more investment, making sure banks lend to the real economy again, creating a connected digital market, a credible foreign policy and ensuring Europe stands on its own feet when it comes to energy security," the EC said in a statement today.

“What I present to you today is a political, dynamic and effective European Commission, geared to give Europe its new start. I have given portfolios to people - not to countries. I am putting 27 players in the field, each of whom has a specific role to play - this is my winning team," Juncker said.

In a next step, the European Parliament has to give its consent to the entire College of Commissioners, including the President and the High-Representative Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission.

This is preceded by hearings of the Commissioners-designate in the relevant parliamentary committees. Once the European Parliament has given its consent, the European Council formally appoints the European Commission.

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Tibor Navracsics will be Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship, contrary to earlier press reports that he will be responsible either for trade or for customs.

Navracsics will, in particular, “contribute to projects steered and coordinated by the Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, the Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue and the Vice-President for the Digital Single Market," President-elect Juncker told Navracsics in a mission letter about his nomination and duties.

(Source: portfolio.hu)