Swedish_European_Commissioner

List of European Commissioners by nationality

List of European Commissioners by nationality

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A European Commissioner is a member of the European Commission. Each Commissioner within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent of national ministers. Each European Union member state has the right to a single commissioner (before the Barroso I Commission in November 2004, the five largest states—France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom—were granted two) and appoints them in consultation with the President.

The accession of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007 raised the number of commissioners from 25 to 27, and after the accession of Croatia in 2013 the number of commissioners raised to 28. The United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020, and did not nominate a commissioner when the Juncker Commission ended on 1 December 2019.

Below is a list of all past and present European Commissioners according to the member-state they were nominated by, including the Presidents of the European Coal and Steel Community and European Atomic Energy Community. The colours indicate their political background (blue for conservative or centre-right, mainly the European People's Party; red for left-wing or social democrats, mainly the Party of European Socialists; yellow for centrist or liberals, mainly the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party; green for green politicians, mainly the European Green Party; and their pan-European predecessors).

List of European Commissioners by nationality

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Withdrawn nominees

A number of commissioners were formally nominated and assigned portfolios before being withdrawn after their hearing with the European Parliament, with the exception of Thorvald Stoltenberg, who withdrew after the rejection of Norway's accession referendum.

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Juncker/Von der Leyen

The transition from the Juncker Commission to the Von der Leyen Commission resulted in a higher number of withdrawals and rejections than any previous transition. This included an agreement to not fill the seats of Juncker commissioners who took seats in the European Parliament, some states abiding by Von der Leyen's request to name female and male candidates in order to have a gender parity (with only one candidate able to be formally nominated), the rejection of several nominees by the European Parliament due to ethical concerns, and some those named to replace the rejected candidates being denied nomination by Von der Leyen. She continued her request for female and male candidates for vacancies throughout her commission.

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European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC)

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European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

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Notes and references

  1. [1]
    Viviane Reding was on leave from 19 April 2014 – 25 May 2014 to campaign in the 2014 European Parliament election, and then resigned on 1 July 2014 to serve as a Member of the European Parliament. Johannes Hahn served as Acting Commissioner during her leave and again until the end of the Barroso II Commission.
  2. [2]
    Corina Crețu resigned on 1 July 2019 to serve as a Member of the European Parliament. Johannes Hahn served as Acting Commissioner until the end of the Juncker Commission.
  3. [3]
    Didier Reynders is on leave from 15 April 2024 – present while being considered for Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Věra Jourová serves as Acting Commissioner.
  4. [4]
    Margrethe Vestager was on leave from 5 September 2023 – 8 December 2023 while being considered for President of the European Investment Bank. Věra Jourová served as Acting Commissioner for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age and Didier Reynders served as Acting Commissioner for Competition.
  5. [5]
    Mariya Gabriel was on leave from 10 May 2023 – 15 May 2023 to participate in the government formation following the 2023 Bulgarian parliamentary election, and then resigned on 15 May 2023 to serve as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Initially, Margrethe Vestager served as Acting Commissioner for Innovation and Research and Margaritis Schinas served as Acting Commissioner for Culture, Education and Youth. When Vestager began her own leave on 5 September 2023, Schinas took over the whole portfolio until Iliana Ivanova took office.
  6. [6]
    Neven Mimica was on leave from 19 April 2014 – 25 May 2014 to campaign in the 2014 European Parliament election. László Andor served as Acting Commissioner.
  7. [7]
    Olli Rehn was on leave from 7 April 2014 – 25 May 2014 to campaign in the 2014 European Parliament election, and then resigned on 1 July 2014 to serve as a Member of the European Parliament. Siim Kallas served as Acting Commissioner during his leave and again until the end of the Barroso II Commission.
  8. [8]
    Kristalina Georgieva resigned on 1 January 2017 to serve as Chief Executive of the World Bank Group. Günther Oettinger assumed her portfolio for Budget and Human Resources, while Ansip served as Acting Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society (Oettinger's original portfolio) until Mariya Gabriel took office.
  9. [9]
    Jutta Urpilainen was on leave from 2 December 2023 – 28 January 2024 to campaign in the 2024 Finnish presidential election. Margaritis Schinas served as Acting Commissioner.
  10. [10]
    Ortoli was a party member of the UDR until 5 December 1976, after which he served as a member of the RPR.
  11. [11]
    Barnier was elevated to Vice President in the Barroso II Commission from 1 July 2014.
  12. [12]
    Antonio Tajani was on leave from 19 April 2014 – 25 May 2014 to campaign in the 2014 European Parliament election, and then resigned on 1 July 2014 to serve as a Member of the European Parliament. Michel Barnier served as Acting Commissioner during his leave and again until the end of the Barroso II Commission.
  13. [13]
    Oettinger was elevated to Vice President in the Barroso II Commission from 1 July 2014.
  14. [14]
    Sandri was elevated to Vice President in the Hallstein II Commission from 30 July 1965.
  15. [15]
    Prodi was a party member of ID until 23 March 2002, after which she served as a member of DL.
  16. [16]
    Prodi, now a member of the socialist grouping, was affiliated to the liberals during his term in the Prodi Commission.
  17. [17]
    Piebalgs was a party member of the LC until 25 August 2007, after which she served as a member of the LPP.
  18. [18]
    Piebalgs, now a member of the conservative grouping, was affiliated to the liberals during his term in the Barroso Commission.
  19. [19]
    Janusz Lewandowski was on leave from 19 April 2014 – 25 May 2014 to campaign in the 2014 European Parliament election, and then resigned on 1 July 2014 to serve as a Member of the European Parliament. Andris Piebalgs served as Acting Commissioner during his leave and again until the end of the Barroso II Commission.
  20. [20]
    Phil Hogan resigned on 26 August 2020. Dombrovskis served as Acting Commissioner until he was confirmed by the European Parliament on 12 October 2020.
  21. [21]
    Maroš Šefčovič was on leave from 19 April 2014 – 25 May 2014 to campaign in the 2014 European Parliament election. José Manuel Barroso served as Acting Commissioner.
  22. [22]
    The PNL, now affiliated with the conservatives was part of the liberals during Orban's term.
  23. [23]
    Cioloş, now a member of the liberal grouping, was affiliated to the European conservatives while remaining nationally unaffiliated during his term in the Barroso Commission.
  24. [24]
    Crețu was a party member of the PSD (within PES) until 17 January 2019, after which she served as a member of PRO (within EDP).
  25. [25]
    John Dalli resigned on 16 October 2012 and Šefčovič served as Acting Commissioner until Tonio Borg took office.
  26. [26]
    Maroš Šefčovič was on leave from 18 January 2019 – 30 March 2019 to campaign in the 2019 Slovak presidential election. Miguel Arias Cañete served as Acting Commissioner.
  27. [27]
    Andrus Ansip resigned on 1 July 2019 to serve as a Member of the European Parliament and Šefčovič served as Acting Commissioner until the end of the Juncker Commission.
  28. [28]
    Frans Timmermans resigned on 22 August 2023 to campaign in the 2023 Dutch general election. Šefčovič served as Acting Commissioner of the European Green Deal and was confirmed by the European Parliament its with Executive Vice President rank on 5 October 2023. He also served as Acting Commissioner for Climate Action until Wopke Hoekstra took office.
  29. [29]
    Lenarčič is affiliated to the liberals, while remaining nationally unaffiliated during his term in the Von der Leyen Commission.
  30. [30]
    Jacques Santer resigned on 16 March 1999 and Marín served as Acting President until Romano Prodi took office.
  31. [31]
    The UK Conservative Party had previously been part of the EPP and joined the ECR on 1 October 2009.
  32. [32]
    Simson was nominated to complete the term of Andrus Ansip, who resigned on 1 July 2019 to take a seat in the European Parliament, without an assigned portfolio. However, it was agreed to let the seat remain vacant until the Von der Leyen Commission began. Simson was then nominated and confirmed for a full term.
  33. [33]
    Pașcu was nominated to complete the term of Corina Crețu, who resigned on 1 July 2019 to take a seat in the European Parliament, without an assigned portfolio. However, it was agreed to let the seat remain vacant until the Von der Leyen Commission began.
  34. [34]
    Goulard was nominated to a portfolio that was to also include Industrial Policy, the Digital Single Market and a new Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space. However, she was rejected by the European Parliament.
  35. [35]
    Trócsányi was rejected by the European Parliament.
  36. [36]
    Szczerski was initially named by the Polish government, however after Von der Leyen indicated she preferred Poland take the Agriculture portfolio, he withdrew to allow another candidate, Janusz Wojciechowski, with more expertise to be formally nominated.
  37. [37]
    Marques was initially named by the Portuguese government as the male candidate for the Von der Leyen Commission, alongside Elisa Ferreira, abiding by her request to achieve a gender parity. Ferreira went on to be formally nominated by Von der Leyen and approved by the European Parliament.
  38. [38]
    Plumb was initially named by the Romanian government as the female candidate for the Von der Leyen Commission, alongside Dan Nica, abiding by her request to achieve a gender parity. She was formally nominated by Von der Leyen but rejected by the European Parliament.
  39. [39]
    Nica was initially named by the Romanian government as the male candidate for the Von der Leyen Commission, alongside Rovana Plumb, abiding by her request to achieve a gender parity. After Plumb went on to be formally nominated by Von der Leyen and subsequently rejected by the European Parliament, the Romanian government named Nica the male candidate, alongside Melania-Gabriela Ciot, with him as the leading candidate. However, he was denied by Von der Leyen.
  40. [40]
    After Plumb's rejection by the European Parliament, the Romanian government named Ciot the female candidate, alongside Dan Nica, with her as the reserve candidate. However, she was denied by Von der Leyen.
  41. [41]
    After Nica and Ciot were denied nomination by Von der Leyen, the Romanian government named Negrescu. However, he was also denied by Von der Leyen.
  42. [42]
    After Negrescu was denied nomination by Von der Leyen, the Romanian government lost parliament's confidence and Mureșan was named by the new government alongside Adina-Ioana Vălean. Vălean went on to be formally nominated by Von der Leyen.
  43. [43]
    After Phil Hogan left the Von der Leyen Commission, McDowell was initially named by the Irish government as the male candidate, alongside Mairead McGuinness as the female candidate. McGuinness went on to be formally nominated by Von der Leyen and confirmed by the European Parliament.
  44. [44]
    After Mariya Gabriel left the Von der Leyen Commission, Lorer was initially named by the Bulgarian government as the announced male candidate, alongside Iliana Ivanova as the female candidate. Ivanova went on to be formally nominated by Von der Leyen and confirmed by the European Parliament.
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