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EU’s Juncker to announce Commission line-up Wednesday

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Incoming European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will announce who gets which job in his team on Wednesday, his office said.

Juncker last week unveiled a list of 28 names set for senior positions within the Commission. They comprised 15 delegates from the centre-right, five liberals and eight socialists.

Brussels has been awash with speculation over which names will be assigned specific portfolios, including the key post of economic affairs commissioner.

"#TeamJunckerEU will be (a) strong team. But different from what some expect," Martin Selmayr, Juncker's chief of staff, posted on Twitter. "Portfolios are given to people, not to countries."

The new line-up is expected to be announced at midday in Brussels (1000 GMT).

Several media outlets reported on Tuesday that the four posts of vice-president would go to four former prime ministers: Finland's Jyrki Katainen, Estonia's Andrus Ansip, Lithuania's Valdis Dombrovskis and Slovenia's Alenka Bratusek.

European parliamentarians -- who must formally approve Juncker's choices in a vote in October -- had threatened to block the new line-up if he did not at least match the nine women on the outgoing commission led by Jose Manuel Barroso.

The only job announced so far, that of EU diplomatic chief, went to a woman: Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini.

The European Commission is arguably the most powerful institution in Brussels as it drafts EU legislation, polices national budgets and anti-trust regulations, and negotiates trade treaties.

Incoming European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will announce who gets which job in his team on Wednesday, his office said.

Juncker last week unveiled a list of 28 names set for senior positions within the Commission. They comprised 15 delegates from the centre-right, five liberals and eight socialists.

Brussels has been awash with speculation over which names will be assigned specific portfolios, including the key post of economic affairs commissioner.

“#TeamJunckerEU will be (a) strong team. But different from what some expect,” Martin Selmayr, Juncker’s chief of staff, posted on Twitter. “Portfolios are given to people, not to countries.”

The new line-up is expected to be announced at midday in Brussels (1000 GMT).

Several media outlets reported on Tuesday that the four posts of vice-president would go to four former prime ministers: Finland’s Jyrki Katainen, Estonia’s Andrus Ansip, Lithuania’s Valdis Dombrovskis and Slovenia’s Alenka Bratusek.

European parliamentarians — who must formally approve Juncker’s choices in a vote in October — had threatened to block the new line-up if he did not at least match the nine women on the outgoing commission led by Jose Manuel Barroso.

The only job announced so far, that of EU diplomatic chief, went to a woman: Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini.

The European Commission is arguably the most powerful institution in Brussels as it drafts EU legislation, polices national budgets and anti-trust regulations, and negotiates trade treaties.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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