Today’s Movers & Shakers are about: Welcome to the Parliament's latest member, Parliament bids farewell to one of it's UK members, high-level director general switches at the Commission, UK general election results and outcomes, latest Committee of the Regions, public affairs appointments and more!
European Parliament
Incoming/Outgoing
Following the appointment of former MEP Nicolas SCHMIT (LU) to the Jobs and Social Rights portfolio in the new European Commission, Marc ANGEL (S&D, LU) will now take his seat in Parliament. ANGEL is a member of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party and was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2004.
Alyn SMITH (Greens/EFA, UK) was elected as a member of the Westminster Parliament for Stirling, Scotland in the UK general election. This means he will leave his seat in the European Parliament.
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European Commission
Commissioner cabinets
Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry BRETON has hired Valère MOUTARLIER, a director of the European Commission’s Taxation and Customs directorate-general, to lead his Cabinet. Lucía CAUDET, who is currently Coordinating Spokesperson for Digital economy, research and innovation, will be his deputy head of cabinet.
Directorates-General
Competition (COMP)
Olivier GUERSENT, current director general at DG FISMA (Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union) will become the new director general, filling a vacant position which was left after former director general Johannes LAITENBERGER was appointed General Court judge at the EU's General Court in September. GUERSENT, who has held various offices in the Commission since 1992, has most notably been deputy director general in charge of financial services in DG COMP and also headed the cabinet of Michel BARNIER, Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services.
Communication Networks, Content and Technology (CONNECT)
Claire BURY replaces Anthony WHELAN as director of Directorate B (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) in an acting capacity.
Prabhat AGARWAL replaces Werner STENGG as Head of Unit F2 (E-Commerce and Platforms) in an acting capacity.
Defense and Space Industry (DEFI)
Timo PESONEN, current director general at DG GROW (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs), will become the first director general of this new DG created by Commission decision of 4 December 2019.
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
Paraskevi MICHOU, current director general of DG HOME (Migration and Home Affairs), will become the new director general, switching jobs with Monique PARIAT. MICHOU joined the Commission in 1995. Before joining DG Migration and Home Affairs, she was in charge of coordinating the Commission's action in the field of migration and security as secretary Deputy Head, as well as in other policy areas including Digital Single Market, Transport and Mobility.
Migration and Home Affairs (HOME)
Diane SCHMITT has joined the DG as Adviser to the director general for Enhancing External and Internal Policy Aspects of Migration and Security.
Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO)
Agnés MONFRET replaces Philippe JOURET as director of Directorate A (Budget, Communication and General Affairs) in an acting capacity. Sabine VANDERMOTTEN also replaces JOURET as head of Unit A3 (Budget and Financial Management) in an acting capacity.
Vicente RODRIGUEZ SAEZ replaces Carole MANCEL-BLANCHARD as Head of Unit G2 (Portugal and Spain) in the Directorate for Smart and Sustainable growth.
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Committee of the Regions
Italy
Vito BARDI joins as an alternate, replacing Vito SANTARSIERO.
Poland
Mariusz Rafał FRANKOWSKI joins as a member, replacing Paweł ADAMOWICZ.
Krzysztof MATYJASZCZYK joins as a member, replacing Lech JAWORSKI.
Rafał Kazimierz TRZASKOWSKI joins as a member, replacing Zbigniew PODRAZA.
Artur Michał TUSIŃSKI joins as a member, replacing Dariusz Zygmunt WRÓBEL.
Hanna ZDANOWSKA joins as a member, replacing Stanisław SZWABSKI.
Aleksandra DULKIEWICZ joins as an alternate, replacing Hanna ZDANOWSKA.
Romania
Emil BOC, a former alternate member, has been appointed member, replacing Gheorghe FALCĂ. Daniel Ștefan DRĂGULIN replaces BLOC as an alternate member.
Public Affairs
MedTech Europe
Rob TEN HOEDT Executive Vice President & President, Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) was elected as chair of the board.
European Social Insurance Platform (ESIP)
Ilka WOLFLE has been elected president, succeeding outgoing president Arnaud EMERIAU who held the position for three years and who will now act as vice-president.
Unilever – Middle Europe
Conny BRAAMS has been appointed to the new role of Chief Digital & Marketing Officer. BRAAMS will begin her role on 1 January 2020.
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National News
Finland
Minister for Transport and Communications Sanna MARIN was chosen as the nomination by the Social Democratic Party to be the next Prime Minister. The Finnish parliament voted on the appointment on Tuesday 10 December. MARIN became Finland’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 34. Timo HARAKKA has taken on the Transport and Communications portfolio; Tuula HAATAINEN has replaced HARAKKA as Minister for Employment. Katri KULMUNI has replaced Mike LINTILA as Minister for Finance; Mike LINTILA replaced Katri KULMUNI as Minister for Economic Affairs.
The ownership steering portfolio has transferred from the Minister of Local Government to the Minister for European Affairs.
Malta
Prime Minister Joseph MUSCAT has faced renewed calls for his immediate resignation last week.
United Kingdom
Voters headed to the polls on the 12 December for the UK general election. The Conservative Party (ECR) won with 365 seats, obtaining an 80-seat majority. Labour (S&D) followed with 203 seats, losing 59 seats. The leader of the Labour Party Jeremy CORBYN is expected to stand down in the new year.
Other notable results included JO SWINSON, leader of the Liberal Democrats, losing her seat in Parliament. She will step down as the leader of the party, with a new leader being elected in the new year. Sir Ed DAVEY and Baroness Sal BRINTON will become interim leaders in the meantime.
