A European political drama unfolded into the early hours of Thursday morning, as the approval of all European Commissioners by the relevant European Parliament committees remained uncertain.
The crisis began a few days ago, triggered by the proposed Spanish commissioner, Teresa Ribera, who until recently served as Spain’s climate crisis minister. She was fiercely criticized by Spanish opposition parties following the tragic floods in Valencia, resulting in a block on her nomination to the European Commission.
This opposition, led by Spain’s People’s Party (PP), which had won the European elections months ago, almost derailed the political agreement that had been reached to secure the approval of Ursula von der Leyen’s new Commission. The situation escalated quickly, and there was a genuine risk that the entire political deal could collapse, delaying the approval of the new College of Commissioners.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis Steps In to Resolve the Crisis
According to sources from protothema.gr, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis played a crucial role in defusing the crisis. As one of the European People’s Party (EPP) negotiators for the post-election distribution of European roles, Mitsotakis took the initiative to resolve the impasse.
In close consultation with Ursula von der Leyen, Mitsotakis began regular communication with all parties involved. For nearly two weeks, the Greek Prime Minister and his team at Maximos Mansion engaged in constant dialogue with government and opposition leaders across Europe. This crisis also served as an opportunity to mend recent tensions between Mitsotakis and EPP President Manfred Weber, who was actively involved in the negotiations, alongside the experienced Maltese president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
From the outset, it was clear that the concerns of Spain’s center-right, particularly its opposition to socialist candidate Ribera, had to be addressed. However, with Ribera and six other Commissioners-designate still awaiting approval, the possibility of the entire new Commission collapsing loomed large.
Approval of the New Commissioners After Intense Negotiations
Kyriakos Mitsotakis remained steadfast in insisting that the programmatic agreement between the EPP, Socialists, and Liberals regarding the distribution of European posts be fully respected. This position was ultimately embraced by all parties. After several days of negotiations and debates, the new Commissioners were approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday.
The final stage of the approval process, a vote on the College of Commissioners as a whole, is scheduled for 27 November in Strasbourg. Although the Spanish center-right retains the right to vote against the new Commission—citing their opposition to socialist Prime Minister Sanchez’s nomination of Ribera, especially in the aftermath of the Valencia floods—everyone acknowledged the need for a compromise.
Throughout this process, Mitsotakis was supported by Tassos Hadjivassiliou, a member of Parliament and Secretary of International Relations for New Democracy, who maintained constant contact with the EPP and other political groups. Additionally, outgoing diplomatic advisor Anna-Maria Bura, who is preparing to take over as Antonio Costa’s diplomatic advisor, and new diplomatic advisor Milton Nicolaides was also involved, as was Greece’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Yannis Vrailas.
Keywords: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, European Parliament, Teresa Ribera, European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, European People’s Party, Spain, Valencia floods, Manfred Weber, Roberta Metsola, Commissioner appointments, political crisis, negotiations, European politics.
