Welcome to Better Europe’s weekly update on EU Affairs.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEARINGS: LET THE POWER GAMES BEGIN
After von der Leyen’s proposal for a new Commission in September, the Parliament has started preparing for the hearings of the future Commissioners, expected to take place from 4 to 12 November in Brussels. The timetable for the three hour hearings was confirmed this week: the portfolio-related written questions will be submitted to the candidates by 10 October, with answers due by 22 October. This will allow MEPs to thoroughly scrutinize the Commissioners’ qualifications, and best prepare their questions for the oral exam. The hearings will be a key political moment for the new Parliament, as it will be one of the few moments where MEPs can influence the Commission’s policy agenda of the next five years. In the theoretical scenario that all candidates pass their hearing, which hasn’t happened in the past decades, President Ursula von der Leyen will be able to secure an endorsement of the full line-up one of the November plenary sessions. This would allow the new College to formally start on 1 December. In case of rejections or re-exams, the starting date is likely to be pushed until after the Christmas holidays, as new candidates would have to be put forward and some portfolios reallocated.
FAR-RIGHT TRIUMPH RESHAPES POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN AUSTRIA
The recent legislative elections in Austria on 29 October saw a historic 28.9% of the vote going to the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), marking the first time since World War II that a far-right party has emerged as the strongest electoral force in the country. This significant gain reflects a broader trend across Europe, where far-right parties are increasingly capturing voter support amid economic downturn and rising anti-immigration sentiment. The election outcome has led to speculation about potential coalition scenarios, with the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) likely to explore partnerships with the Social Democrats and the liberal NEOS party, and explicitly ruling out a coalition with the FPÖ if this is under Herbert Kickl’s leadership. Despite the FPÖ’s electoral success, EU diplomats have downplayed its immediate impact on European policy-making, citing the fragmentation of far-right parties and the continued dominance of centrist coalitions. The rise of radical parties across Europe yet underscores the urgent need for mainstream political forces to develop effective strategies to address economic challenges and the concerns of disaffected voters, as failure to do so will continue further normalize far-right ideologies and could, in the long run, also raise serious concerns about the future of the European Union, as a lot of the problems are attributed to allegedly ineffective EU border and migration policies.
EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN O’REILLY ON HER WAY OUT
European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, in the post since 2013, is on her way out after two terms in office. O’Reilly has been widely recognized for transforming and elevating her function throughout the years. When she first took the position, O’Reilly inherited a small, male-dominated low-profile office located in Strasbourg. She modernized the institution, moved it to Brussels, boosted transparency and improved the staff gender balance. Throughout her tenure, she focused on holding EU institutions accountable, from investigating vaccine contracts to scrutinizing Frontex’s handling of the Adriana migrant disaster; and tackled sensitive issues such as revolving door practices and the secrecy of Commission decision-making processes. Despite the non-binding nature of her recommendations, O’Reilly consistently pushed for higher ethical standards and public access to information. Her departure marks the end of an era, as a new European Ombudsman is expected to be elected by the European Parliament in the mid-December plenary session. The question remains: in a very different political environment, what direction will the new leadership take, and how will they build on O’Reilly’s legacy?