Von der Leyen unveils new European Commission lineup

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled the list of new commissioners, including Kostas Kadis from Cyprus, who has been appointed as Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans. Von der Leyen made the announcement today during a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, emphasizing Kadis’s role in developing a sustainable and competitive maritime sector and presenting the European Oceans Pact.

The newly announced lineup features six Executive Vice Presidents, each responsible for key areas of the Commission's agenda:

- Teresa Ribera (Spain) will oversee the Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition, as well as the Competition policy and the European Green Deal goals.
- Henna Virkkunen (Finland) will handle Tech-Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, including digital and frontier technologies.
- Stéphane Séjourné (France) will focus on Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, covering Industry, SMEs, and the Single Market.
- Kaja Kallas (Estonia) will serve as High Representative and Vice-President.
- Roxana Mînzatu (Romania) will manage People, Skills, and Preparedness, dealing with education, quality jobs, and social rights.
- Raffaele Fitto (Italy) will be responsible for Cohesion and Reforms, including regional development and city policies.

Other key appointments include:

- Maroš Šefčovič (Slovakia) as Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security.
- Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia) handling Economy and Productivity, with additional duties in Implementation and Simplification.
- Dubravka Šuica (Croatia) focuses on the Mediterranean and the wider southern neighborhood.
- Olivér Várhely (Hungary) for Health and Animal Welfare.
- Wopke Hoekstra (Netherlands) continuing as Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero, and Clean Growth.
- Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania) is in charge of Defence and Space.
- Marta Kos (Slovenia), pending final approval from the Slovenian Parliament, will oversee the Enlargement and the Eastern neighborhood.
- Jozef Síkela (Czechia) will handle International Partnerships.
- Maria Luís Albuquerque (Portugal) will focus on Financial Services and the Savings and Investment Union.
- Hadja Lahbib (Belgium) for Preparedness and Crisis Management.
- Magnus Brunner (Austria) in charge of Internal Affairs and Migration.
- Jessika Roswall (Sweden) will manage the Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy.
- Piotr Serafin (Poland) for Budget, Anti-Fraud, and Public Administration.
- Dan Jørgensen (Denmark) will oversee Energy and Housing.
- Ekaterina Zaharieva (Bulgaria) focuses on Startups, Research, and Innovation.
- Michael McGrath (Ireland) in charge of Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law.
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Greece) will handle Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
- Christophe Hansen (Luxembourg) for Agriculture and Food.
- Glenn Micallef (Malta) will focus on Intergenerational Fairness, Culture, Youth, and Sport.

Von der Leyen's announcement reflects her vision for the next five years, emphasizing a broad agenda that includes sustainability, economic competitiveness, and regional development. The appointments are expected to shape the Commission's policies and priorities as it addresses key challenges facing the European Union.