Spain nominates Teresa Ribera as European Commissioner for Von der Leyen’s second term

BRUSSELS, Aug. 28 () –

The Spanish Government has formalized this Wednesday the nomination of the third vice-president and person responsible for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, to join the new college of commissioners for Ursula von der Leyen’s second term at the head of the Community Executive.

“It is a great honour to be appointed by the President of the Government as Spain’s candidate for the next European Commission,” Ribera herself confirmed in an institutional video.

Ribera, who was the head of the PSOE list in the European elections but resigned from her seat with a view to becoming part of the Community Executive, has pointed out that Brussels “must give the right answers to the great challenges” and build “the European dream” based on “prosperity, well-being and opportunities for all.”

Spain has pushed the deadline set by Von der Leyen, August 30, to present its candidate until the last days, despite the fact that the vice president had been the main favourite for the post for months.

Along with Croatia, Finland, Sweden and Portugal, Spain is one of the few Member States that has put forward a woman to form part of the new college of commissioners, something that puts into question the German PP’s intention to have a gender-balanced Executive.

Von der Leyen now has the task of allocating posts and portfolios and has set herself a deadline of mid-September to finalise her next government. Those chosen will then have to undergo scrutiny by the European Parliament in October.

With Ribera, Spain hopes to have a strong portfolio related to climate and energy issues, a subject that the vice-president has highlighted in her meetings with her European counterparts.

Ribera was the protagonist during the negotiations with the European Commission to achieve the so-called Iberian gas exception, through which Spain and Portugal benefited from a temporary measure to disengage from the European electricity markets and lower their electricity bills. The initiative was approved in June 2022 and extended until the end of 2023.