After the departure of European Commission Vice President Timmermans, the Dutchman Hoekstra and the Slovakian Sefcovic will in the future be responsible for a central area of ​​EU policy. But first they both have to face the EU Parliament.

The staff is strong: Wopke Hoekstra and Maros Sefcovic will take charge of the European Commission’s once-in-a-century project until next summer’s European elections, specifically the Green Deal, or the sustainable restructuring of Europe’s economy and society. His goal is to make Europe climate neutral by 2050 with the help of appropriate laws.

Hoekstra is supposed to represent the European Union internationally as climate commissioner, for example at the global climate summit in Dubai at the end of November. As Deputy Executive Commissioner, Sefcovic will be responsible for coordinating the Green Deal.

Timmermans was eliminated

Frans Timmermans has previously taken care of these areas. He resigned from the committee to run as the main candidate for the Red-Green coalition in the Dutch parliamentary elections in November.

The Greens expressed their regret at his departure, and consider Timmermans to be the central architect of the Green Deal. The Christian Democrats see an opportunity in Timmermann’s departure from Brussels: they accuse the Dutch Social Democrat of neglecting the interests of farmers and industry with his efforts on climate and environmental policy.

Uncomfortable questions in committee

Before Hoekstra and Sefkovic begin, they have to answer questions from EU Parliament members in Strasbourg, where they will be „grilled”. This was certainly true for the Dutchman Hoekstra. In the evening, he faced some uncomfortable questions during the more than three-hour hearing before the responsible parliamentary committee.

The Greens have expressed doubts about whether the CDU will continue to work aggressively on meeting the EU’s climate targets – after the CDU’s European People’s Party group recently blocked climate and environment laws. Late in the evening, the Green Party said they were „positively surprised” by Hoekstra’s clear commitment to the target of cutting EU emissions by at least 90 percent by 2040 compared to 1990.

Parliamentarians from the Social Democratic Party also demanded clarifications and commitments. Among other things, MPs expected the future climate commissioner to make a clear commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. In the view of his critics, the fact that Hoekstra worked for multinational oil company Shell and management consulting firm McKinsey before becoming a politician does not speak in his favor. However, Hoekstra was unable to immediately convince committee members yesterday. A decision on whether he will qualify will not be made until the afternoon.

The second is easier

Sefcovic is scheduled to appear before the Environment Committee in the morning. It’s easier than Hoekstra. The Slovakian is considered a candidate because he is already a member of the committee and only has an additional area of ​​responsibility. As Brussels’s Brexit negotiator, he has gained a reputation as a competent and skilled mediator.

Finally, Parliament will vote on the candidates. In the end, it cannot be prevented.

EVP is blocked Nature conservation laws

From the Christian Democrats’ point of view, the two make a good team that is more focused on pragmatism and a willingness to engage in dialogue on climate policy after Timmerman’s departure. It should not only set ambitious goals, but also enable the industry to implement them.

EPP parliamentary group leader Manfred Weber has warned against placing excessive burdens on farmers since the party’s conference in Munich in May. The Netherlands may serve as a reminder: there, the right-wing populist peasant movement BBB became the strongest force in regional elections in March. In the EU Parliament, the European People’s Party opposed the Nature Restoration Act and rejected the planned pesticide regulation.

What does the leader want?

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Hoekstra’s experience as a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Finance of the Netherlands. Timmerman’s departure, which was a red flag for some conservatives, is certainly timely for her. Because if von der Leyen runs for a second term as Commission president – ​​as most people assume – she will need the support of her own group from the European People’s Party.

The Commission President adopted their demands almost verbatim in her State of the Union address three weeks ago, when she declared, on the relationship between agriculture and nature conservation, that the EU needed more dialogue and less polarization. Von der Leyen also announced that she wants to continue supporting the industry and simplifying procedures – all of which are concerns of the EPP. Your new climate team with the Hoekstra Christian Democratic Party can further assist in accommodating your particular group.