EP elects Jucker Commission.
After the hearings of each Commissioner-designate, after refusing a Commissioner-designate and after having changed the portfolio of two Commissioners-designate, the European Parliament, on Wednesday, approved the Juncker Commission as a whole.
During the long democratic process of appointing the Commission (more than five months after the European elections, over three months after the election of Jean-Claude Juncker), the SD-ADLE-EPP coalition helds. The European Commission has been elected by 423 votes for, 209 against, 67 abstentions out of 751 MPs.
However, there are a number of defections in each political party of the coalition, 32 MEPs from SD, 6 MPs from ADLE and 3 MPs from EPP have voted against or abstained ; in the Eurosceptic Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), whose instruction have been to abstain, 12 MEPs approved the Commission ; 2 Green Party MEPs and one non-registered MEP, a fiercely anti-European member, have also decided to vote in favour of the Commission.
The reaction of Jean-Claude Juncker (President of the European Commission) : "After a long democratic journey, today my team crossed the finishing line. I feel honoured that my Commission has received the democratic backing of the European Parliament. Now it is time to roll up our sleeves and get down to work : to kick-start economic recovery, create more and better jobs, address the plight of Europe's youth for a better future, protect the most vulnerable in our society and cope with the rapidly deteriorating geopolitical situation. Together, we will succeed".
Next steps :
- The official appointment of the European Commission by the European Council,
- The pledg of each Commissioner before the EU justice Court,
- 11-03-2014 : European Commission taking-up office for 5 years (up to the next European elections)
Sources :
- Le Parlement européen investit la Commission Juncker - 22-10-2014 (lemonde.fr)
- European Parliament elects Juncker Commission - 22/10/2014 (Commission européenne)
- La Commission Juncker confirmée par le Parlement après quelques ajustements - 22-10-2014 (Euractiv.fr)
To go further :
- Sur les réajustements de dernières minutes et ambition sociale selon Juncker (Euroactiv.fr)
- Le Parlement donne son feu vert à la nouvelle Commission (Euractiv.fr)