New EU Top Team to be Unveiled on Tuesday

W460

Incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that her full team of commissioners -- the equivalent of an EU cabinet -- will be announced next week.

"I am happy to have received all names from EU member states," von der Leyen tweeted, after Italy, the last country without a nominee, proposed former prime minister Paolo Gentiloni to take a seat in the EU executive taking office on November 1.

The EU's powerful executive arm is led by a team of top officials nominated by member countries that will be down to 27 if Britain leaves the bloc as planned on October 31.

Von der Leyen, Germany's nominee, seems to have almost kept her promise of achieving gender parity in her team, with at least 12 women nominated to the commission's leadership by the EU capitals.

Romania has suggested two names, a man and a woman, with von der Leyen's final pick not yet known.

The nominees however must win confirmation in the European Parliament where nominees will be grilled by MEPs in a series of hearings starting on September 30.

A longtime German defence minister, von der Leyen was chosen as a compromise by EU leaders after an acrimonious summit in June that exposed deep political divisions in the union.

Von der Leyen replaces outgoing European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

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