In the midst of the negotiation for electing the European Commission next President, the female Commissioner of the current executive branch of the Union have a request for the appointed President, Jean-Claude Juncker: to elect at least ten female Commissioners among the responsibles of the policies of the Union in the next five days. The request was contained into a letter signed by all female Commissioners, announced Androulla Vassiliou, responsible of Culture for the European Union.
“The Commission’s mandate is ending and there will be a new one in a short time,” she reminded, explaining that “female Commissioners are very concerned” for the possibility that the forthcoming Commission “would not have enough women.” Ten female Commissioners, said Vassilou, “would be a great result.” The names of the possibile Commissioners do not come from the President, that’s sure, but from Member States instead, still “let’s not forget that Barroso, at the eve of the creation of his new Commission,” reminded the EU responsible for Culture, “wrote a letter to Heads of State or Government to ask them for appointing female Commissioners.” That is, Juncker has the possibility of speaking up about this issue too, and the outgoing Commissioners expect him to do so.