By Nicholas Wallace and Nicoletta Ionta
(EurActiv) -- Tomaž Vesel, Slovenia’s nominee for European commissioner, has withdrawn his candidacy amid pressure from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Slovenian government sources confirmed on Friday (6 September).
Vesel informed Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob that he was withdrawing because of “differences of opinion on the future composition of the European Commission” between Vesel and von der Leyen, a government statement said.
The Slovenian government will meet to discuss a new candidate on Monday, according to the statement.
Yet just three days ago, on Tuesday (3 September), Slovenia’s coalition government said onXthat it remained unanimous in its support for Vesel.
In July, von der Leyen formally demanded each member state to propose both a man and a woman, to allow her to appoint 13 of each as her 26 commissioners. But most member states have refused.
With Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib’s nomination on Monday(2 September), the number of potential female Commissioners now stands at nine – making 10 in total with Germany’s von der Leyen included.“If you don’t ask for it, you don’t get it. It doesn’t come naturally,” von der Leyen said of her request.
Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present her designated Commission team and portfolios to leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups onWednesday 11 September.