The lack of women in Jean-Claude Juncker’s European Commission has been widely talked about. The president of the next Commission had emphasised the importance of gender balance in the next college, but out of the 23 candidate commissioners put forward by the member states, only four are women.
If the five countries that have not yet made a final decision on their nominees – Cyprus, Belgium, Slovenia, The Netherlands and Denmark – were all to nominate women, the number of females in the cabinet would match that of José Manuel Barroso’s current team. But with the Cypriot government almost certain to nominate Christos Stylianides, a maximum of eight women is the best Juncker can hope for.
Juncker is not the only Commission president to have been involved in a struggle for gender balance. European Voice previously looked back at past cabinets and their female representation, and there have not been many female commissioners throughout the years. It is striking, however, that ten member states have never had a female commissioner at all. These are: Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
For Belgium, one of the founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 that became part of the European Union, it seems about time. It remains the only country to name its nominees to replace current commissioner Karel De Gucht. It is believed that Marianne Thyssen (pictured), a centre-right MEP, and Didier Reynders, the resigning minister of foreign affairs, are the most likely candidates. The ongoing process of forming a national government plays an important role, making it far from certain that Thyssen will become Belgium’s first ever female commissioner.
The best performing countries in terms of gender equality are the Scandinavian countries. Since its accession to the EU in 1995, Sweden has only ever appointed women commissioners. In Juncker’s cabinet, Sweden will continue to be represented by Cecilia Malmström, its current commissioner. Denmark has a fair and balanced record since joining the EU in 1973, with four men and three women.
Its neighbouring country Finland, however, cannot claim such equality – it has only appointed men since 1995 – as has Portugal since 1986, Hungary since 2004, and Malta since 2004. Some of the newer member states came up with female commissioners straight away, such as Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria (the latter has only nominated female commissioners since its 2004 accession).
The European Commission does not have a great track record for female representation. The first female commissioner, France’s Christiane Scrivener, joined the college in 1989 – some 31 years after the first college was founded. Under the cabinets led by Jacques Delors she was responsible for the portfolio taxes, revenue harmonisation and consumer policies. She served as the only female commissioner in Delors’ cabinets until 1995.
Italy and Germany appointed their first female commissioners in 1995. Greece, Luxembourg and Spain followed in 1999. It was only in 2004 that Austria, Cyprus and the Netherlands came up with a female commissioner and it took Ireland and the UK another five years.
The Czech Republic will have its first female commissioner in Juncker’s cabinet – and possibly Belgium and Slovenia too.
Member states that have never appointed a female commissioner
- Belgium (2014-19 not announced yet) – member since 1952
- Croatia – member since 2013
- Estonia – member since 2004
- Finland – member since 1995
- Hungary – member since 2004
- Malta – member since 2004
- Portugal – member since 1986
- Romania – member since 2007
- Slovakia – member since 2004
- Slovenia (2014-19 not announced yet) – member since 2004