European Commission will be able to launch new mandate on 1 November

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has announced on Wednesday that hearings for European Commission member candidates (KE) will be held from November 4th to November 12th, prompting the start of the new mandate of this commission to be delayed.

That is the decision of the presidents' conference in the European Parliament, attended by the heads of party grouping.

This EP decision makes it impossible to implement the European Commission president's plan, Ursula von der Leyen, to start the second term on November 1st after the June elections in the European bloc.

Now, the most likely date for starting the European Commission's work is said to be December 1st this year. Even this date is possible only on the condition that none of the candidates are rejected by relevant EP committees.

Of the candidates to be heard and voted for in the European Parliament, for Kosovo and the most important region are Kaya Kallas, who will be the high representative for foreign policy and security, and Marta Kos, who has been appointed to be a commissioner for enlargement.

Both of these candidates will be heard and voted on the European Parliament's Foreign Policy Commission.

Many diplomats and parliamentarians in Brussels had indicated earlier that November 1st for the launch of the new EC mandate, which has mentioned Von der Leyen, was unrealistic and that she had mentioned this date “to pressure” against the European Parliament.

When all candidates get the consent of parliamentary commissions, then the European Parliament votes at a plenary session for the entire European Commission.

If any of the candidates fail to get consent, then the country they come from should send another candidate, who still needs to pass the entire approval procedure.

This would cause new delays. Therefore, December 1st as the starting date for the mandate seems quite ambitious, but not impossible.