ASSESSMENTS

What a New Commission Means for EU Policy

Nov 11, 2019 | 09:45 GMT

The European Commission's president-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, talks to the media during the unveiling of her new team for the 2019-2024 term. A graphic showing the specific commissioners is displayed on a large screen behind her.

The European Commission's president-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, unveils her new team during a Sept. 10 press conference in Brussels. Under von der Leyen's leadership, the commissioners will reflect the bloc's policy priorities and ambitions for the next five years.

(THIERRY MONASSE/Getty Images)

Highlights

The new European Commission will take a hawkish stance on antitrust regulations and show increasing willingness to introduce fines on companies that violate EU rules, in some cases preemptively.
Brussels will also seek to finalize current talks on free trade agreements and start new ones, though disputes over issues such as agriculture will hinder progress.
Sharp divisions among governments within the European Parliament, meanwhile, will make passing any new proposals on issues like immigration and tax policy an exceedingly tall order.

A new European Commission led by President Ursula von der Leyen is slated to take over in December after the European Parliament approves her team later this month. In preparation for her new post, von der Leyen has outlined a bold "geopolitical" vision that focuses on defending the European Union's interests amid growing competition among global powers like the United States and China. But whether the president-elect's commissioners will actually be able to follow through on her big plans once they take office next month will prove a far different story, as they'll be forced to work within the confines of the continent's increasingly divisive political climate and gloomy economic forecast. ...

Subscribe to view this article

Subscribe Now

Already have an account?