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A European commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the president of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent of government ministers.
Although members of the commission are allocated between member states, they do not represent their states. Instead, they are supposed to act in European interests. Normally, a member state will nominate someone of the same political party as that which forms the current government. There are exceptions, such as Member of the Commission Richard Burke (of Fine Gael), who was nominated by Taoiseach Charles Haughey (of Fianna Fáil). In the past, when the larger states had two seats, they often went to the two major parties, such as in the United Kingdom.
Twelve of the current 27 members are women. The first female commissioners were Christiane Scrivener and Vasso Papandreou in the 1989 Delors Commission. Peter Mandelson (2004 to October 2008) was the first openly Homosexuality commissioner.
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek proposed in 2010 that commissioners be directly elected, by member states placing their candidate at the top of their voting lists in European elections. That would give them individually, and the body as a whole, a democratic mandate.
Nice also specified that once the number of members reached 27 then the number of commissioners should be reduced to "less than the number of Member States". The exact number of commissioners would have to be decided by a unanimous vote of the European Council and membership would rotate equally between member states. Following the accession of Romania and Bulgaria in January 2007, this clause took effect for the following commission (appointed after the 2009 European elections).See the attached Protocol, Article 4
The failed European Constitution first mandated that the number of commissioners should equal two-thirds of the member states. This could be changed by a vote in the European Council, in case the number was still too high in the future. The constitution failed ratification but this change was brought in with the Treaty of Lisbon. However, as Lisbon was being ratified the Irish electorate voted against it with one reason being the fear of losing a commissioner. The Irish then voted again, in favour of the treaty on a number of conditions; one being that they kept their commissioner.
In 2009, in what was known as the 26+1 formula, it was proposed that (in order to comply with the Nice Treaty provision that there should be fewer commissioners than members) instead of a commissioner one member state should fill the post of high representative. An idea floated in 2007 was the creation of junior members for smaller states. EU divided by plan for 'second-class' commissioners ft.com 7 January 2007 In 2004, there was a proposal to create a "super-commissioner" who would be vice president of the Commission and would "be able to intervene in all decisions concerning EU projects that have an impact" on the economic performance of the EU.
Another change Lisbon brought, as hinted above, was the creation of the role of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy by merging the post of European Commissioner for External Relations with the council's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The new more powerful high representative became Vice-President of the Commission and would chair the Council of the European Union when foreign ministers were meeting.
Louis Michel (Development & Humanitarian Aid) announced that he would go on unpaid leave to take part in the 2007 Belgian elections. Commissioner Louis Michel to stand in the Belgian parliamentary elections europa.eu Although he positioned himself so as not to be elected, the European Parliament's development committee asked the Parliament's legal service to assess if his participation violated the treaties. Michel claimed that politicisation of this manner is part of reconnecting the Union with its citizens. The Commission revised its code of conduct for commissioners allowing them to "be active members of political parties or trade unions". To participate in an election campaign they are required to "withdraw from the work of the Commission for the duration of the campaign".
This does throw their independence in doubt, where a politician leaves their national scene for one or two terms and returns to it for a new job.Hix, Simon (1999) "The political system of the European Union" MacMillan, Basingstoke, p5 Most in essence owe their positions to nomination and support from national party leaders and parties they have been aligned to; usually seeking to return to the party-political fray.Hix Simon (1999) "The political system of the European Union". p5
Politicisation has even gone so far as commissioners backing national candidates, with Neelie Kroes (Competition) backing Angela Merkel in the 2005 German elections and Margot Wallström (Institutional Relations & Communication Strategy) backing Ségolène Royal in the 2007 French elections. Wallström defended this, claiming that the EU has to get more political and controversial as being a vital role in communicating the commission. Brussels struggles with communication policy euobserver.com 9 May 2007 Wallström has been notable for engaging in debate and politics: she was the first commissioner to start her own blog .
However their political nature can also cause problems in their habit of leaving the job early in the final years of the commission to take up new national posts. In seeking to secure their post-Commission job, they can undermine the work of the commission. Following elections in Cyprus, Commissioner Kyprianou left to become Cypriot Foreign Minister. Likewise, Commissioner Frattini left to do the same following elections in Italy. During the previous Prodi Commission, Pedro Solbes left to become the Spanish finance minister, Michel Barnier left to become French foreign minister, Erkki Liikanen left to become head of the Bank of Finland and Anna Diamantopoulou also resigned early. Even President Prodi started campaigning in the Italian elections before his term as head of the commission was over.
Appointment to the commission has the effect of removing a political figure from a country for a period of years, and this has been compared to the ancient Athenian practice of ostracism.
Thierry Breton resigned as European Commissioner on 16 September 2024, accusing Ursula von der Leyen of undermining him and disrupting the EU's power transition.
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