Today’s Movers & Shakers are about: Meet Parliament’s latest member, the Commission appoints a new Head of Representation in Sweden, results of the Polish Presidential election, Denmark to get a new representative to the PSC, the latest Commission, public affairs appointments, and more!
European Parliament
Incoming
Parliament welcomes its newest German member Manuela Ripa (Greens/EFA) who replaces Klaus Buchner. A member of the Ecological Democratic Party, Ripa will take over the tasks in Buchner's previous committees and will be a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defense (SEDE). In addition, like Buchner, she will become a substitute in the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).
Ripa’s primary political interests are environmental and climate protection, animal welfare and consumer protection and would therefore like to actively campaign for ecological agriculture and continue the ÖDP campaign for a mandatory meat seal with a pictorial identification of the farming methods in the Parliament.
European Commission
Commissioner Cabinets
Vice-president and Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight - Maroš Šefčovič
Laurent Bontoux joins the cabinet and will be in charge of foresight. Bontoux has worked in the Commission for more than two decades, most recently as a senior foresight expert and senior policy analyst on foresight, environment, energy, sustainable development, future of manufacturing and transition to a sustainable economy.
Vice-president and Commissioner for Values and Transparency - Vĕra Jourová
Karel Barták has been appointed special adviser on media policy. Barták has had an extensive career working in the Commission, most notably in the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and DG EAC. Barták is also an associate research fellow at The EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.
Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights – Nicolas Schmit
The former Federal President of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Andrea Nahles has been appointed as special advisor to “help strengthen the social dialogue in Europe, as well as the role of the social partners”.
Directorates-General and Services
Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI)
Michael Scannell (IE) has been appointed Deputy Director-General. Scannell has previously been Director for Markets and Observatories in the same DG and was serving in the Deputy Director-General role in an acting capacity until now.
Budget (BUDG)
Niall Bohan has been appointed as Director of Directorate E (Asset and financial risk management). He was previously performing this role in an acting capacity.
Nicolas Clisson replaces Tina Svendstrup as Head of Unit, Discharge procedure in an acting capacity.
Christian Engelen replaces Niall Bohan as Head of Unit E1 (Oversight of EU guarantees and risk management) in an acting capacity.
Competition (COMP)
Inge Bernaerts has been appointed Director of Directorate A (Policy and Strategy) with the date of effect yet to be determined.
Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN)
István Pal Székely has joined the DG as Principal Adviser reporting directly to the Director-General.
Zenon Kontolemis replaces Gabriele Giudice as Head of Unit A2 (EMU deepening and macroeconomy of the euro area) in an acting capacity. Giudice moves to Head of Unit F3 (Croatia, Spain) replacing Laura Bardone. Bardone in turn, replaces Björn Döhring as Head of Unit A3 (Economic situation, forecasts, business and consumer surveys).
Döhring replaces Ingo Kuhnert as Head of Unit B3 (Models and database). The latter was performing the role in an acting capacity.
Dino Pinelli replaces Julia Lendvai as Head of Unit F4 (Finland, Hungary, Slovenia) in an acting capacity.
Lendvai replaces Paul Kutos as Head of Unit F2 (Greece). Kutos moves to Head of Unit G3 (Italy), replacing Florian Wöhlbier who was performing the role in an acting capacity.
Asa Johannesson Linden replaces Andrea Mairate as Head of Unit B4 (Impact of EU policies on national economies) in an acting capacity.
Office for Infrastructure and Logistics, Brussels (OIB)
Marie-Pierre Darchy replaces Antonios Koletsos Head of Unit, Social Infrastructures (Ispra) in an acting capacity.
International Trade (Trade)
An extensive re-shuffle of the DG has taken place. Please visit dodspeople.eu for all the latest changes.
Representations and Delegations
Sweden
Christian Danielsson has been appointed as future Head of the Commission's Representation in Sweden. The date of effect is yet to be determined. Danielsson is currently Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR). He was also Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sweden to the EU between 2008 and 2010.
Council of the European Union
Permanent Representations
Permanent Representation of Denmark
Representative to the Political and Security Committee (PSC), Lars Bo Larsen, will be leaving his position in August to take up a role in Jakarta as Danish Ambassador to Indonesia replacing Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen. Michael Lund Jeppesen, the current Ambassador of Denmark to Afghanistan, will be the new PSC Ambassador, commencing his role on 1 September.
Permanent Representation of the Netherlands
Antici representative Said Fazili participated in his final Coreper meeting on Tuesday. As Fazili takes on a role at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he will be succeeded by Wouter Wessels on 20 July. Wessels is currently First Secretary in the representation’s economic affairs department.
EU Institutions and Agencies
Committee of the Regions
Michiel Rijsberman (RE, NL) has been appointed as rapporteur of the draft opinion ‘The role of the EU’s cohesion policy with respect to intelligent and innovative economic change in the regions against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis’.
Mieczysław Struk (EPP, PL) has been appointed as rapporteur for the draft opinion on the REACT-EU package.
Public Affairs
Chocolate, Biscuits and Confectionary of Europe (CAOBISCO)
Muriel Korter has been appointed Director-General. Korter has worked for CAOBISCO for many years, previously as Economics Affairs Director responsible for trade matters and sourcing of ingredients. She is also the current Secretary-General of the European Sugar Users’ Association (CIUS).
National News
Bulgaria
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has asked Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, Interior Minister Mladen Marinov and Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov to step down amid nationwide anti-corruption protests against the rule of Borissov and Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev. Borissov, whose current term in office is due to end in early 2021, will also face a no-confidence motion in parliament on 20 July.
France
The new cabinet led by prime minister Jean Castex has won a confidence vote from MPs in the National Assembly with 345 votes in favour, 177 votes against and 43 abstentions. The vote came after Castex detailed his plans for economic recovery which include unlocking more than €20 billion for climate-related investment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Ireland
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has appointed Fianna Fáil (EPP) deputy leader Dara Calleary as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine replacing Barry Cowen. The appointment follows the sacking of Cowen on Tuesday amid controversy surrounding a drink-driving ban.
Poland
Incumbent Andrzej Duda won the presidential election and another five years in office with 51.2% of vote, beating his challenger Rafal Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw. The turnout was the highest in Poland’s history of presidential elections with 68.9% of poles turning up to the ballot boxes.
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