Brussels Signal has obtained a full provisional schedule for the European Parliament’s hearings with commissioners-designate next month.
The dates of November 4 to November 12 had already raised eyebrows within the Brussels bubble, with some critics noting that at least 12 of the hearings will coincide directly with the US presidential election.
According to leaked documents seen by Brussels Signal, several of the most controversial commissioner-designates set to be presented to the European Parliament will have their hearings on November 5 and November 6, the day of and day after the crucial US vote.
This includes the EU’s provisional crisis management commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, who became the subject of mockery late last month after mixing up her speeches while speaking at the United Nations. Lahbib is set to have her hearing at 9 am local time on November 6.
Another likely controversial candidate set to have their hearing coincide with the US election is Michael McGrath, with the Irishman also being granted a 9 am slot, this time on November 5, the day of the crucial US vote.
McGrath is set to be granted the commission’s Rule of Law portfolio, something that will likely put him on a crash course with countries disfavoured by Brussels, such as Robert Fico’s Slovakia and Viktor Orbán’s Hungary.
Brussels veteran Olivér Várhelyi is also set to have his commission hearing on November 6. The senior Hungarian commissioner is set to be handed the joker portfolio of Health and Animal Rights in a move that is being viewed as another dressing down of Budapest.
Other candidates look likely to see their hearings receive more media scrutiny. This includes France’s Stéphane Séjourné — the country’s replacement for Thierry Breton — and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas, both of whom are set to have their hearings on November 12.
The full schedule is as follows:
Monday, November 4
(14:30 – 17:30): Maroš Šefčovič (Trade and Economic Security)
(14:30 – 17:30): Glenn Micallef (Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport)
(18:30 – 21:30): Christophe Hansen (Agriculture)
(18:30 – 21:30): Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Sustainable Transport and Tourism)
Tuesday, November 5 (US Election Day)
(09:00 – 12:00): Michael McGrath (Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law)
(09:00 – 12:00): Ekaterina Zaharieva (Startups, Research and Innovation)
(14:30 – 17:30): Dan Jørgensen (Energy and Housing)
(14:30 – 17:30): Dubravka Šuica (Mediterranean)
(18:30 – 21:30): Jessika Roswall (Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy)
(18:30 – 21:30): Magnus Brunner (Internal Affairs and Migration)
Wednesday, November 6
(09:00 – 12:00): Hadja Lahbib (Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality)
(09:00 – 12:00): Maria Luís Albuquerque (Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union)
(14:30 – 17:30): Costas Kadis (Fisheries and Oceans)
(14:30 – 17:30): Jozef Síkela (International Partnerships)
(18:30 – 21:30): Andrius Kubilius (Defence and Space)
(18:30 – 21:30): Olivér Várhelyi (Health and Animal Welfare)
Thursday, November 7
(09:00 – 12:00): Wopke Hoekstra (Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth)
(09:00 – 12:00): Marta Kos (Enlargement)
(14:30 – 17:30): Piotr Serafin (Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration)
(14:30 – 17:30): Valdis Dombrovskis (Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification)
Monday, November 11
(14:30 – 17:30): Raffaele Fitto (Cohesion and Reforms)
(14:30 – 17:30): Henna Virkkunen (Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy)
Tuesday, November 12
(09:00 – 12:00): Roxana Mînzatu (People, Skills and Preparedness)
(09:00 – 12:00): Stéphane Séjourné (Prosperity and Industrial Strategy)
(14:30 – 17:30): Teresa Ribera Rodríguez (Clean, Just and Competitive Transition)
(14:30 – 17:30): Kaja Kallas (High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy)
