President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen appointed Greece’s Apostolos Tzitzikostas as the European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism in her press conference announcing the new team of Commissioners.
This presentation comes one day after the resignation of France’s European commissioner Thierry Breton, who openly accused the EU executive of ‘questionable governance’ saying that von der Leyen had requested that Paris withdrew his name citing ‘personal reasons’ without first having informed him.
This announcement followed a meeting with the President of the European Parliament and the leaders of the political groups in Strasbourg, aiming to give political leaders the opportunity to review her plans before the nominees face parliamentary hearings and the subsequent confirmation vote.
Each new Commissioner will undergo a hearing in the European Parliament in the coming weeks, during which EU lawmakers are expected to seek commitments from the candidates regarding their plans if appointed. The European Parliament has the power to block nominees, with Hungarian candidate Oliver Várhelyi being among those expected to face tough questioning.
Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of cooperation among the Commissioners, noting that all members of the team are equals. She highlighted key priorities such as prosperity, security, and democracy.
Additionally, she pointed out the gender balance in her team, with 11 women making up 40% of the European Commissioners, though she remarked that when the initial nominations were submitted, the figure stood at just 22%.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, reacted to the Greek appointment on his personal Facebook page saying ‘I want to express my great satisfaction today regarding the portfolio of Sustainable Transport and Tourism, for which Apostolos Tzitzikostas has been selected in the new European Commission.’
