Good morning from Brussels, 

The deadline for member states to submit their candidate commissioners approaches (30 August), and Ursula von der Leyen has started interviewing candidates individually as of this week.

But she has several issues to deal with.

She needs to ensure that the candidates pass the EU Parliament’s grilling, meet the ambitions of national governments as well as her own, and maintain some political balance despite the centre-right EPP’s prevalence in the new executive.

The lack of gender balance—only seven so far have proposed a female candidate—may also cause problems in Parliament.

Some suggest that von der Leyen’s political leverage on member states is less than in 2019 when she had the full backing of the governments in Paris and Berlin.

Meanwhile, EU lawmakers—who will also meet with Mario Draghi on 5 September to discuss the future of Europe’s competitiveness—are sharpening their knives.

Read the story by Magnus Lund Nielsen and Alexandra Brzozowski, which explains the procedures to be followed and potential timelines. 

As EU foreign and defence ministers gather informally in Brussels instead of Budapest on Thursday, tensions with Hungary are expected to reach a boiling point. Read the full story. 

On trade, while EU imports from Russia slid to record lows in the second quarter of 2024, signs persist that Brussels’ sanctions on Moscow are being circumvented via trade with third countries. Thomas Moller-Nielsen has all the details.

In the agricultural sector, István Nagy, Hungary’s minister of agriculture and current chair of the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council, will deliver the opening remarks at the international non-GMO summit, which this year will focus on the political debate surrounding new genomic techniques. 

PARIS

French President Emmanuel Macron is leaving political crisis-hit France on Thursday and Friday for a two-day trip to Serbia in the hope of selling fighter jets to President Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, despite Belgrade’s close relationship with Russia. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany seeks unity on migration as political battle heats up before election. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has signalled his willingness to hold talks with the opposition on irregular immigration, a hot-button issue that has reignited the country’s political landscape ahead of a crucial election weekend. Read more.

ROME

Council of Europe urges Italy to boost anti-corruption efforts. The Council of Europe has urged Italy to intensify its fight against corruption and conflicts of interest, a report by its anti-corruption body GRECO, published on Wednesday, said. Read more.

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MADRID

Sánchez defends regular migration as key for growth, sparks backlash from opposition. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described regular migration as a necessity for economic growth in Spain and the EU during an official visit to Mauritania on Wednesday, drawing sharp criticism from Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the main opposition Partido Popular. Read more.

Madrid officially picks Ecological Transition Minister Ribera as EU Commissioner. The Spanish government nominated the Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera as Spain’s candidate for the next European Commission on Wednesday, EU sources told Euractiv’s partner EFE. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese government proposes Albuquerque as commissioner candidate. The Portuguese government has proposed former finance minister Maria Luís Albuquerque as its choice for European commissioner, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced on Wednesday. Read more.

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ATHENS

Greek main opposition Syriza leader walks a tightrope. The leadership of Stefanos Kasselakis, head of Greece’s main opposition leftist Syriza party, is once again under scrutiny as a new clash among leftist politicians pushes the party to the brink of another major split. Read more.

COPENHAGEN

Denmark picks climate hawk Dan Jørgensen for new Commission. In a move that challenges EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s desire for a gender-balanced Commission, Copenhagen on Wednesday proposed current Minister for Development and Global Climate Policy Dan Jørgensen for the next EU Commission. Read more.

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HELSINKI

German company to build world’s largest heat pump in Helsinki. The large air-water heat pump to be supplied by Germany will help put the Finnish capital on track to achieve its 2030 climate neutrality goal. Read more.

WARSAW

The European Union’s current structure would not be appropriate if it were to include more than 30 members, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said after meeting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Wednesday. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czechia renews calls to postpone EU anti-deforestation law. The Czech Agriculture Ministry has asked the European Commission to delay the application of the EU’s new anti-deforestation law, arguing that its impact on businesses is unclear. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia urged not to destroy successful recycling system. Slovakia’s Environment Ministry should abandon legislative plans that could jeopardise the country’s highly successful Deposit Return System (DRS), which serves as a model for other EU countries, nine beverage packaging companies, including EUROPEN, the Brewers of Europe and Zero Waste Europe, have said in a joint letter. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria is aiming to get the regional policy portfolio in the next European Commission and has a chance to do so, several sources in Sofia, including state-run BNT television, report. Read more.

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BUCHAREST | CHISINAU

Romania seeks to acquire Giurgiulesti Port from Moldova. The Romanian government will start negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to acquire shares in the Giurgiulești International Free Port in Moldova. Read more.

• EU: Informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers takes place in Brussels;
• Commission Vice President Vĕra Jourová speaks at “Building an AI Economy” conference, in Prague, Czech Republic;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Martina Monti, Alice Taylor]