Page 43 - bne IntelliNews monthly magazine October 2024

bne October 2024 Central Europe I 43
appointed as one of six vice presidents, following Bucharest's efforts for a more prominent economic portfolio, though it ultimately secured a position focusing on people and skills.
Slovenia’s Marta Kos is expected to
take the enlargement portfolio, but
her nomination remains under debate within Slovenia, with opposition parties fiercely contesting her candidacy.
Enlargement is expected to be a
key focus for the next European Commission term, with Kos – should her appointment be approved – tasked with supporting Ukraine and assisting candidate countries in their preparation for accession.
Poland’s Piotr Serafin has been entrusted with overseeing the EU's budget, a critical role within the bloc's financial framework.
Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis and Croatia’s Dubravka Suica, meanwhile,
take less prominent posts than previously. Slovakia’s Maros Sefcovic remains a key figure in the new Commission with his role in trade and economic security.
The European Commission is responsible for actions such as proposing new
laws for the EU, approving or blocking company mergers and signing free trade agreements. Each member state has a representative in the new Commission, but their level of influence varies depending on the portfolio.
The bloc's biggest states, France and Germany, secured top jobs within the Commission, with von der Leyen herself being German and France’s outgoing foreign minister Stsphane Sejourne taking charge of the industrial strategy portfolio.
The Commission's lineup includes 11 women, a figure falling short of the gender balance von der Leyen aimed for. "When I received the first set of nominations and candidates, we were
on track for around 22% women and 78% men. That was unacceptable. So I worked with the Member States and we were able to improve the balance,” commented von der Leyen.
Among the other notable appointments from the eastern EU members, Jozef Síkela of Czechia takes on international partnerships, Ekaterina Zaharieva of Bulgaria will handle startups, research and innovation, and Suica will manage the Mediterranean portfolio.
The new European Commission is expected to assume office by the end of the year, with one of its early tasks being to navigate the aftermath of the US presidential election in November, which could significantly impact EU-US relations, especially in light of potential shifts in the Western stance on supporting Ukraine.
All nominees will undergo hearings in the European Parliament, where lawmakers can challenge and block the nominees.
Czechia invites Israeli minister on
international arrest warrant for a visit
Albin Sybera
Czech Minister of Defence Jana Cernochova has invited to Prague her Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, against whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant in connection with the actions of Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) actions in Gaza.
Czechia is a signatory country of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and Czech police should arrest Gallant if he arrives in the country.
The Czech cabinet is a staunch backer of the far-right cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu in its bloody campaign in Gaza but the invitation will put it in a difficult
position, highlighting its break with the majority opinion of the international community.
Czech Ministry of Defence spokesperson David Polak confirmed for the online news outlet Aktualne.cz the “invitation for a personal visit of Czechia” for Gallant while Israeli embassy spokes- person Petra Mohylova said that “if the situation permits then such a visit could take place”.
“Israel is a reliable partner and ally of Czechia. Mrs. Minister last talked with the Israeli minister over the phone last Thursday,“ Polak was quoted as saying.
Aktualne.cz also noted that while Prime Minister Petr Fiala's hawkish national
security advisor Tomas Pojar ruled
out Czechia would abide by the Rome Statute in the case of Israeli officials, the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky stated that “the position of the Czech government is that we abide by international law”.
Cernochova hails from the neoliberal ODS party just like Fiala, which is also a more Eurosceptic party than Lipvasky’s pro-EU Pirate Party.
Fiala also diverged from Czech diplomacy when he maintained the stance of the Czech pro-Kremlin ex-President Milos Zeman and called on the Czech embassy last autumn to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
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