Looking for leading women for the European Commission!
(BRUXELLES2) It could be the text of a classified ad. To be completed with a codicil: “If interested, please contact JCJ urgently” (alias Jean-Claude Juncker). The President-designate of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, is indeed short of women. He told the Member States, discreetly at first, then much less confiding in particular to our colleagues from AFP. To be able to compose a slightly more balanced European Commission, he thus asked each Member State to provide not one name but two names: a man, a woman. Rightly so... Out of the countries which have already officially nominated or could nominate their candidate, there are actually a maximum number of men.
20 men +/- already announced for 2 women
According to the latest count made by B2 (*), there are indeed already twenty men confirmed or almost confirmed — that is to say cited so persistently that their candidacy seems obvious. While only 2 women are confirmed or cited in the same way (Italy and the Netherlands). In 5 other countries, a woman is mentioned or possibly considered (but without confirmation) as being able to become commissioner. It's weak, very weak! We can also notice that most of the big countries - Italy excepted - line up behind a male candidate: Germany first but also the countries which have not yet made their choice official (France, United Kingdom, Spain, Poland ), where only one man is cited as being able to be named (eg Pierre Moscovici for France).
A "macho" tropism
This rather "macho" attitude will not surprise our readers. Before the European elections, we did a first poll. And he was not very optimistic about the gender balance within the future European executive. (Read : There is a lack of women in the future 2014 Commission. A real political problem…)
A deteriorating situation
The current Commission has a slightly more balanced workforce, with a third of women (9 women for 19 men). It was moreover a requirement of José-Manuel Barroso who had to beat a little, five years ago, the recall of the Member States. Paradoxically, in 2014, the lesson did not carry. And it seems more difficult than in 2009 or 2004 to get States to be more balanced in their approach.
The European Parliament in ambush
This state of affairs promises a great showdown with the European Parliament. Some delegation or group leaders have promised that they will not let a European Commission that is too marked by masculinity pass. And that they would be ruthless during the auditions. Everyone starts to look at who will be eliminated during these tests which have never been a formality...
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(*) The detail will appear Monday in the edition reserved for subscribers of the B2 club
NB: this is not a specificity for commissioners, in the senior European civil service, women are reduced to a bare minimum. Read also: Women block in European career
