This Tuesday, Teresa Ribera faces the European Parliament audience to confirm her nomination as executive vice president for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition in the European Commission, amid criticisms from the Popular Party and the ongoing balance of parliamentary forces.
When Ursula von der Leyen assigned an executive presidency and one of the Commission’s most influential portfolios to Ribera, Spain achieved a significant diplomatic victory. The still vice president of the government will have a crucial role in the EU’s climate, industry, and economic policy. But to make that happen, Ribera needs the Parliament’s backing, and the PP is sharpening its exam.
The Popular Party has kept Ribera in the crosshairs for her role in handling the Dana disaster. The PP spokesperson Miguel Tellado accused her of being on the run for not attending the plenary to avoid harming her Brussels aspirations. The eurodeputy and vice president of the European People’s Party group Esteban Gonzalez Pons argued that Ribera does not deserve to represent Spain in the Commission. The question is whether the Spanish PP’s interests align with those of its European Parliament group.
So far, none of the candidates has faced major trouble securing confirmation. Most have done so with support from the same coalition that backed von der Leyen: conservatives, socialists, liberals, and greens. Only the Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi is in trouble. After a lackluster hearing, MEPs asked the candidate for Health and Animal Welfare to answer a new set of written questions.
Ensuring Ribera’s Nomination
To guarantee her nomination, Ribera needs backing from the spokespeople of one third of the parliamentary groups. The math only works with the von der Leyen coalition, but that is not enough. She also needs support from the Left of Sum ar and Podemos, or from the conservatives and reformists led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy on the right. Therefore the previous hearing will be key.
Tuesday is the big day. The heavyweights of the Commission are examined, all executive vice presidents including the Italian Raffaele Fitto. He will speak early in the morning, and his fate could determine Ribera’s. The progressive groups in the Parliament, from the Socialists to the Greens, have expressed discontent that a far-right figure is part of the new executive’s power bloc. The question is how far they are willing to go to block it.
Fitto is expected to count on the support of the far right and also the conservatives, but will need backing from other groups as well. If Fitto falls, a domino effect could follow that affects the liberal French Stéphane Séjourné, the socialist, and even the rival Henna Virkkunen who shares the hearing slot with Ribera.
Opposing a candidate in the European Parliament is common, but majorities are tighter than ever. The balances and the deals will be decisive for the political families that gamble with the futures of their nominees in the vote. A new list would require starting the procedure from scratch and the Commission would not be ready to begin work in December as planned. For many, in a volatile international context and with Donald Trump returning to the White House in January, there is no time to waste.
If the numbers do not add up, as in the case of Várhelyi, the process could be extended with more written questions or another hearing. Confirmation can be granted by a simple majority of the Commission’s members, simplifying the math. There are alternatives to rejection, such as reorganizing portfolios or reassigning responsibilities. The decision on the Hungarian is another card in the deck, expected on Wednesday.