Jean-Claude Juncker, the president-elect of the European Commission, will promote Maroš Šefčovič to the Energy Union dossier this week and hand his erstwhile portfolio, transport, to Violeta Bulc, Slovenia’s new nominee.
Juncker interviewed Bulc on Tuesday night and later released a statement saying he had submitted an amended list of commissioner-designates, with her name added, to the Council of Ministers for approval.
Bulc, a colourful character who is trained as a shaman and fire-walker, still has to face a confirmation hearing with MEPs. It is expected that, given his elevation, Šefčovič will also have to sit another hearing.
The elephant in the room is Hungarian Commissioner Tibor Navracsics, whom the Parliament accepted as Commissioner, but not for his assigned portfolio of Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship, in an odd precedent last week. It is widely expected that he will remain as Education Commissioner, but the “Citizenship” component of his brief will be removed.
The hope is that the hearings could be scheduled for next Monday or Tuesday in Strasbourg and a vote held next Thursday, 23 October. However, that leaves Bulc with an unenviable amount of preparation in a short period of time.
Alternatively, the final vote will have to be delayed until 12-13 November. This would delay the start date of the new Commission, originally due to start work on 1 November.
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