As much of the world’s political focus is centered on the upcoming US presidential election in November, an equally critical transition of power is happening in Brussels. Since the European Parliament elections in June 2024, the process of forming the next European Commission has unfolded at an excruciatingly slow pace. After months of delays, the EU’s executive arm is finally taking shape under the leadership of President Ursula von der Leyen, who has proposed her top team to steer the Union through the next five years. However, the sluggish progress in establishing this key institution raises concerns about missed opportunities at a time when the EU faces significant political, economic, and environmental challenges.

Much like US presidents when assembling their administrations, von der Leyen has had to carefully balance various interests, including political allegiances, national representation, and gender equality. Each EU member state is entitled to one commissioner, and von der Leyen has taken great care to ensure that her political stamp is clearly visible in the selections for this commission. This marks a more assertive move compared to her first commission in 2019, signaling her desire to guide the bloc more decisively through the uncertainties of the next five years.

One of the most significant decisions von der Leyen has made in shaping her new commission is the ousting of Thierry Breton, a prominent French commissioner who was instrumental in drafting the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act. Breton had emerged as one of von der Leyen’s most vocal critics, and his removal from the commission represents a clear consolidation of her political authority. While von der Leyen has always been the leading figure within the commission, the presence of powerful figures in her previous team, such as Franz Timmermans and........

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