Belgium’s would-be EU commissioner can expect to face a tough grilling from MEPs this week.
The country’s outgoing foreign minister Hadja Lahbib will face the European Parliament’s traditional confirmation procedure for her proposed role as Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, and Equality.
Her hearing before MEPs is due to go ahead on Wednesday.
She is one of 26 candidates from across the EU who are set to go before confirmatory hearings but Belgian media reports that Lahbib is widely seen as “one of the more vulnerable nominees.”
Belga, for example, states, “Lahbib’s hearing on Wednesday could bring questions on pressing European crises, such as recent flooding in Spain and other parts of Europe. However, she may also face pointed inquiries about her own controversial personal and political history.”
The agency goes on, “Her Russian-sponsored 2022 visit to Crimea (she was a journalist at the time), for example, raised eyebrows in Europe, as the territory is internationally recognised as occupied by Russia.
“Additionally, Lahbib was involved in a visa controversy when she approved entry for Iranian diplomats, a decision that sparked backlash amid tensions with Iran over security and human rights,” adds the news outlet.
Each confirmation hearing lasts three hours. The Commissioner-designate will make a 15-minute introductory statement, which will be followed by questions from MEPs.
Each political group will distribute the time between its Members participating in the hearing. The Commissioner-designate will have twice as much time for his or her reply as the time given for the question. Before the end of the confirmation hearing, the Commissioners-designate can make a brief closing statement.
Depending on the portfolio, a Commissioner-designate can be assessed by one committee or by several committees acting jointly (responsible committees).
Other committees may be invited to participate in the hearing, meaning they can contribute with oral questions, while the final evaluation of candidates lies with the coordinators of the committee(s) responsible.
The chair and group representatives (coordinators) of the committees concerned will meet straight after the hearings to evaluate if the Commissioners-designate are qualified both to be members of the College and to carry out the particular duties they have been assigned.
Within 24 hours of completing the evaluation, coordinators will send a confidential letter of recommendation to be examined by the Conference of Committee chairs and conveyed subsequently to the Conference of Presidents.
S&D leader Iratxe Garcia Perez said, “Scrutinising candidates for European Commissioners is one of our most important tasks.
“We, Socialists and Democrats, take this process seriously and will thoroughly evaluate candidates’ general competence, European commitment and personal independence, as well as their knowledge of portfolios and communication skills.”
The Spanish MEP said, “Our goal is to have an outstanding team of European Commissioners who will strive for a better and stronger Europe.”
