Today’s Movers & Shakers are about: A spate of committee and delegation changes at Parliament, the new vice-chair of the EPP group, the S&D group gain a member, Italy’s new Permanent Representative, the latest Commission appointments, and more!
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European Parliament
Committees and Delegations
Cláudia Monteiro De Aguiar (EPP, PT) has left her role as fourth vice-chair of the Fisheries Committee (PECH).
Members
Christian Sagartz (EPP, AT) has moved from substitute to member on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL).
Pascal Arimont (EPP, BE) has joined the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI).
Asim Ademov (EPP, BG) has moved from substitute to member on the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT).
Karlo Ressler (EPP, HR) has joined the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (AIDA).
Henna Virkkunen (EPP, FI) has moved from substitute to member on the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN).
Agnès Evren (EPP, FR) has joined the Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia Delegation (D-CAS).
Daniel Caspary (EPP, DE) has joined the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) and the Euronest Delegation (D-EPA).
Jens Gieseke (EPP, DE) has joined the Chile Delegation (D-CL).
Sven Schulze (EPP, DE) has moved from substitute to member on the Southeast Asia and ASEAN Delegation (D-ASE).
Sven Simon (EPP, DE) has moved from substitute to member on the Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO).
Maria Walsh (EPP, IE) has joined the Culture and Education Committee.
Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, IT) has joined the Southeast Asia and ASEAN Delegation (D-ASE).
Massimiliano Salini moves from substitute to member on the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE).
Raffaele Fitto (ECR, IT) leaves the Budgetary Control Committee (CONT).
Samira Rafaela (RE, NL) moves from substitute to member on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL).
Andrzej Halicki (EPP, PL) moves from substitute to member on the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET).
Maria da Graça Carvalho (EPP, PT) has joined the Fisheries Committee (PECH).
Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (EPP, RO) joins the Regional Development Committee (REGI).
Traian Băsescu (EPP, RO) joins the United States Delegation (D-US).
Antonio López-Istúriz White joins the Arab Peninsula Delegation (D-ARP)
Substitutes
Pascal Arimont (EPP, BE) has left the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO).
Tom Vandenkendelaere (EPP, BE) has joined the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee (AGRI).
Riho Terras (EPP, EE) has joined the United States Delegation.
Henna Virkkunen (EPP, FI) has joined the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET).
Petri Sarvamaa (EPP, FI) has joined the Budgets Committee (BUDG).
Brice Hortefeux (EPP, FR) has joined the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE).
Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé has joined the Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO).
Daniel Caspary (EPP, DE) has joined the Ukraine Delegation (D-UA).
Marion Walsmann (EPP, DE) has joined the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee.
Niclas Herbst (EPP, DE) has joined the Israel Delegation (D-IL).
Political Groups
EPP
Completing their presidency team, the group have elected Irish MEP Frances Fitzgerald as vice-chair. A member of the Parliament since 2019, Fitzgerald sits as a member on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON), the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM) and Development Committee (DEVE). On her election, the former Irish deputy prime minister has said she looks forward to beginning work steering the group “in this most critical time for Europe as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and work to ensure a fair and prosperous recovery for all citizens”.
S&D
Radka Maxová (CZ) has moved from Renew Europe to the Progressives. Maxová, who has been a member of the Parliament since 2019 was one of the founding members of the Czech ANO 2011 movement but left last October after stating that the party had deviated from its original goals. She now represents the Czech Social Democratic Party in the Parliament as a non-partisan member.
European Commission
Commissioner Cabinets
Maurits-Jan Prinz joins the cabinet of Commissioner for Internal Markets Thierry Breton. A former scientist, Prinz previously worked at the Consul of the Netherlands in Basel.
Directorates-General
Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT)
Andreas Geiss replaces Thibaut Kleiner as head of unit D1 (Research Strategy & Programme Coordination). Kleiner had been performing the role in an acting capacity.
Human Resources and Security (HR)
Michael Berger has left his role as legal adviser in directorate C (Talent Management and Diversity) leaving a vacant tenure.
Mobility and Transport (MOVE)
Matthew Baldwin has replaced Elisabeth Werner as director of directorate C (Land).
Translation
Marja Hennessy replaces Maria Cristina De Preter as director of directorate B (Translation). De Preter was performing the role in an acting capacity.
Kati Niemi replaces Marja Hennessy as head of the Finnish language department in directorate A (Translation).
Council of the European Union
Permanent Representations
Italy
Piero Benassi has been named as Italy’s new Permanent Representative to the EU and will replace Maurizio Massari over the Easter. Benassi is a former diplomatic adviser to Giuseppe Conte, Italy’s prime minister between 2018-21. In turn, Massari moves to the role of Italian Permanent Representative to the United Nations at the UN headquarters in New York.
Public Affairs
European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)
Paolo Cadoni (head of division, prudential policy directorate at the Prudential Regulation Authority, Bank of England), Petra Hielkema (director for insurance supervision at De Nederlandsche Bank) and Christian Thimann (CEO of Athora Germany) have been shortlisted to succeed Gabriel Bernardino as chair who stepped down this month after having served for the maximum of two five-year terms.
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National News
Slovakia
Junior coalition partner, the Freedom and Solidarity party, have said they will not be part of the coalition until prime minister Igor Matovič leaves his post. Leader of the party and minister for the economy, Richard Sulík resigned earlier in the week and was followed by the two other Freedom and Solidarity ministers , minister for foreign and European affairs Ivan Korčok and minister for education, science, research and sport Branislav Gröling.
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