
The new President of the European Commission wants Prime Minister Boris Johnson to nominate a British candidate for the European Commission by the end of this week. Ursula von der Leyen has sent Johnson an official letter about this for the second time. A spokesperson in Brussels did not want to speculate what would happen if the British did not cooperate on time.
In her second letter, Von der Leyen points out that the British themselves have requested a longer deferment of the Brexit, which means that Great Britain is still a member of the European Union and must therefore now nominate a new commissioner for the new committee. The British press reported yesterday that the prime minister will abide by the law. Earlier this year, Johnson said he would definitely refuse to send a new British Commissioner to Brussels.
Von der Leyen would like to officially start its new EU Commission on 1 December. that is already a month later than originally intended. But the European Parliament disapproved of three Commissioners-designate, for whom deputies had to be found and the first delay occurred.
The three new candidates (from France, Romania and Hungary) will be heard by the European Parliament on Thursday in Brussels. In that case, the new Commission could be formally installed in the plenary session of the European Parliament, at the end of November in Strasbourg, and could start work on 1 December.
In the event that the British Prime Minister is putting forward a British EU Commissioner this week, the European Parliament will have to question and assess him / her in a scheduled hearing next week. In theory, Johnson can also propose that the current British Commissioner Julian King stay on for a while.
Johnson keeps the boat off until now. He foresees that naming a candidate - who is in the Commission until the Brexit is a fact - means ammunition for his political opponents. They will explain it as proof that he does not want to get the UK out of EU. Johnson is not waiting for this on the eve of the national elections (December 12).
British diplomats in Brussels in recent days have suggested that Johnson only puts a candidate forward after the elections. In that case, the new Commission can start in February at the earliest, three months later than intended. Von der Leyen finds this unacceptable and therefore increases the pressure on London.
Meanwhile, lawyers in Brussels have figured out what should happen if Johnson does not put a candidate forward. This has shown that every EU country has the right to its own candidate, but not that it is mandatory. It is also concluded that the new Commission may also start with 27 Commissioners.