What Just Happened? A Beginner’s Guide to Von der Leyen’s European Commission – POLITICO

Let’s start with the basics.

What happened?

In July, Ursula von der Leyen was elected to a second term as president of the European Commission (more on that later). The former German defense minister has been in office since 2019 thanks to a behind-the-scenes deal between then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, who plucked her from relative obscurity to what is arguably the most important job in Europe. (That may not sound very democratic, but that’s another story.)

On Tuesday, she presented her new team: an eclectic mix of 26 candidates representing every EU country, plus von der Leyen, the German commissioner. Each commissioner will be tasked with implementing the commission president’s vision for the next five years.

What is the role of the European Commission?

The European Union consists of three main institutions – the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union. (As you will soon discover, there is also the European Council, which is not the same as the Council of the European Union. You will find this annoying.)

The Commission is run by a 27-member team known as the College of Commissioners – no, it’s not an educational institution – which oversees 32,000 staff in Europe and around the world.

The European Commission does a number of things, including preparing the EU’s annual budget and making sure countries implement EU legislation such as banning charges when you take your mobile phone abroad or standardising USB chargers – as well as important things like ensuring respect for fundamental human rights and the rule of law.