Translating von der Leyen

HAPPY FAMILIES: Here’s a snap of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s new team, taken in the Berlaymont Wednesday. How long will it be before MEPs in the parliamentary hearings wipe the smiles off their faces?
BRETON’S FINAL VOYAGE: Elon Musk sarcastically wished outgoing Commissioner Thierry Breton “bon voyage” on X on Wednesday, a coda to a beef between two men whose combined egos pushed planetary boundaries. Breton responded: “Any tickets left for Mars? I have a few ideas to regulate over there.”
WHAT EUROPE’S TAX LADY DOES NEXT: Outgoing Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has a new job: From Jan. 1, the one-time Danish education minister will take over as chair of the board of governors of DTU, Denmark’s largest educational institution for engineers. 
GOOD THURSDAY MORNING from a rapidly emptying Strasbourg. This is Eddy Wax. Read on for a special Playbook guide on how to speak the new Commission lingo.
**A message from TikTok: Across the EU, nearly one third of all teenagers on TikTok enter our dedicated Science, Technology Engineering & Maths (STEM) feed on a weekly basis. Since we launched our STEM feed in Europe in April, we have seen a 22% increase in STEM-related content on the platform.**
VDL CONSOLIDATES: Complex org charts are flying around as policy experts try to determine the exact power dynamics in the new Commission after Ursula von der Leyen this week reshuffled her team and unveiled a slate of new portfolios.
The power grab is complete: However detailed the org chart, this much is abundantly clear: A president already famed for her top-down, tightly controlled leadership style has ensured she will have unfettered domination over EU politics.
Control freakery? “She will be even more in control of everything,” said one EU official quoted in today’s must-read piece by my colleagues Barbara Moens, Max Griera and Jacopo Barigazzi about the culmination of months of public and private strategizing to remove the dissenting voices from von der Leyen’s first College of Commissioners.
How she did it: Von der Leyen conjured up a fancy job title for France with less responsibility than it had before; leaned on battle-hardened loyalists like Slovakia’s Maroš Šefčovič, Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis and Dutchman Wopke Hoekstra; dispatched critics such as France’s Breton; and diluted key responsibilities between multiple people, as insurance against future pockets of resistance.
At what price? Von der Leyen spent the summer bludgeoning governments into U-turning on their choices for commissioners, offering them bigger jobs if they gave in to her preferences. Now it’s dawning on France that its nominee Stéphane Séjourné has a smaller portfolio than his predecessor; while Italy’s Raffaele Fitto, though he boasts the shiny title of executive vice president and oversees some ECR-friendly topics like farming, only has the middleweight DG REGIO in his direct control. In reality, Germany will retain its grip on Europe’s finances, as my colleagues Gregorio Sorgi and Barbara Moens write.
Also aggrieved: Outgoing Jobs Commissioner Nicolas Schmit bemoaned in a radio interview that he wasn’t renominated by Luxembourg, criticizing von der Leyen as well as his country’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden. Another term for Schmit, the Socialist lead candidate in this year’s EU election, was a key center-left demand. The Commission chief could’ve made the sort of quid-pro-quo deal she did with other countries to keep him. Schmit said von der Leyen offered him a “special envoy” post as a consolation — which he found “absolutely affronting” and “beneath my personal dignity.” 
Blame VDL: “My feeling is that von der Leyen was not particularly keen on nominating Schmit, just like she was not eager in having a strong character like Breton at her side,” Marc Angel, a Luxembourgish MEP and Schmit ally, told my colleague Max Griera. 
Who’s the most collegial? Remember, Schmit slammed his then-boss on the campaign trail for a lack of “collegiality” and an aloof management style. This week von der Leyen reminded all commissioners about the “spirit of collegiality” they’re meant to have.
HANDY GUIDE: Curious about which directorates-general each commissioner will oversee? Check out this comprehensive table created by EU digital policy expert Max Frey. (It’s almost as good as our own Lucia Mackenzie’s interactive one.)
ENLARGEMENT COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE FACES RUSSIA QUESTIONS: Marta Kos, the Slovenian commissioner nominee who is poised to get the enlargement brief, was approved by a now infamous parliamentary committee that until last night had refused to meet. Slovenian journalist Blaž Mohorčič reports Kos will — finally — be officially nominated by Ljubljana today.
Kos accused of being pro-Russian: During the lengthy committee meeting, a Slovenian MP allied with ex-PM Janez Janša grilled Kos about her past comments that struck a conciliatory tone toward Moscow, such as the ones my colleagues Nicholas Vinocur and Una Hajdari mention in this article about what Europe’s new enlargement czar means for Ukraine. 
Defending her record: “The fact is that Russia is the aggressor, and it is violating international law,” Kos said in response. “The fact is that the civilian population is suffering and that Russia is lying about saying that civilian institutions are not targets. Such actions must definitely be condemned.” She said her earlier comments must be understood in context, and told reporters: “I don’t expect everyone to like me, but I don’t want them to spread lies about me.”
INTER-INSTITUTIONAL INFIGHTING: As Playbook reported, there was outrage in some quarters of the Parliament Tuesday when von der Leyen appeared to snub MEPs in the prestigious Conference of Presidents by telling them almost nothing about the new Commission and revealing everything in a press conference minutes later. That sense of rancor bodes ill for the bigger battle looming between the two institutions: the commissioner candidate hearings.
They can’t even see eye to eye on when to start. A senior Commission official briefed journalists Wednesday that on paper, Nov. 1 could still be a possible start date for the new College, depending on how quickly the hearings can happen. But few buy it, and MEPs are pushing back at what some see as an attempt to steamroll them. “We want to use our democratic right which we fought for to really test the designated commissioners,” said Bernd Lange, a German Social Democrat MEP who is closely involved in the Parliament’s planning.
Diary dilemma: Hearings could start on Oct. 14 or Nov. 4, Lange said, but may not happen until Dec. 1. The whole process could be delayed further if commissioners wobble in Parliament. An internal Socialists and Democrats group note about the next steps, dated Monday and seen by Playbook, predicts “we could expect many candidates to have a second hearing and then a full committee vote,” due to the complex political patchwork of the new Parliament, where a two-thirds majority will be hard to reach.
PARLIAMENT SEIZES ITS CHANCE FOR MORE POWER: Behind the scenes, there’s another battle playing out between the Commission and Parliament, with both sides poised to renegotiate the charter that governs their relationship — one of those classic EU documents that pretends to be stuffy and technical but is highly political.
Lessons in leverage: Parliament President Roberta Metsola, one of three negotiators alongside Lange and the EPP’s Sven Simon, wants to do a political deal before the big Parliament vote on von der Leyen’s second Commission, in a clear attempt to gain leverage. Von der Leyen … not so much. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for an outgoing College of Commissioners to sign off on this,” one Commission official said.
What Parliament wants: More info sooner from the Commission, the right to summon people and more scrutiny powers. The Commission is “upset about the Parliament rebalancing the imbalances,” said one Parliament official.
Stop ignoring us: The Commission has been bypassing the Parliament “more often than ever,” according to a draft Parliament report obtained by Playbook under freedom of information laws. On 14 occasions since 2020, the EU executive has invoked a special clause in the EU’s treaties to avoid parliamentary scrutiny, citing emergencies like Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s compared to five times in the decade before 2020.
Give us a say: Metsola wrote a sharply worded letter, seen by Playbook, to von der Leyen in July demanding “equal treatment” by the Commission, saying its “scrutiny powers should be fully respected” when it comes to MOUs signed by the Commission. Parliament is miffed about not being consulted on the big migration deals that von der Leyen has struck with North African autocrats.
What the Commission wants: Proper consultation on parliamentary rule changes that impact the Commission — like, for instance, insisting the president tells them her plans for the Commission before anyone else. Oh, and for MEPs to actually show up to plenary debates with commissioners. Von der Leyen, who doesn’t have a reputation as a fan of Parliament, to say the least, has been at pains to show she cares about the institution this year, promising a “closer partnership” in July and telling commissioners in their mission letters to spend more time with MEPs. For her top team to make it through, she’s going to need ‘em.
Don’t say: Green.Do say: Clean.
Don’t say: Stovepipes.Do say: Holistic clusters. 
Don’t say: Kids.Do say: Intergenerational fairness.
Don’t say: Commissioner I made a deal with.Do say: Executive vice president. 
Don’t say: Jobs and social rights.Do say: Skills.
Don’t say: ECR.Do say: Italy.
Don’t say: 16 male commissioners.Do say: 40 percent women. 
Don’t say: Tempi train crash.Do say: Sustainable transport.
Don’t say: Don’t mess with the boss. Do say: A spirit of collegiality.
Don’t say: Screw you, Viktor Orbán.Do say: Commissioner for health and animal welfare.
Don’t say: The Draghi Report.Do say: The Holy Bible. 
Do say: All commissioners are equal. Don’t say: But some are more equal than others.
**AI regulation is blasting. Would the new EU rules stifle innovation? Join POLITICO Live’s event “AI and Governance: Threading the Needle” on November 21st and learn more about the implementation of the AI Act in Europe and the global collaboration shaping AI policy. Register now—spaces are limited!**
EPP ACCUSED OF TEAMING UP WITH FAR RIGHT: The European People’s Party is opening itself up to accusations it’s trashing the much-trumpeted cordon santaire against the far right in Parliament for the sake of passing a non-binding text about Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuela.
EPP joins the Patriots: MEPs will today vote on the resolution about Venezuela’s dubious election co-signed by the EPP group, the European Conservatives and Reformists group and the far-right Patriots group, which contains MEPs from Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz and Spain’s Vox. 
Talks between the EPP and groups to its left broke down over whether the Parliament should follow Washington and officially recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González, as El País’s Silvia Ayuso reported this week — a move the Socialists argue is precipitous, and which no EU country has yet done. “We should be on the right side of history,” Spanish PP MEP Dolors Montserrat from the EPP argued. The EPP signed a compromise text with ECR and the Patriots, but will probably need the extreme-right AfD to get a majority.
Patriots can’t hold the pen: Spanish Socialist MEP Javier López, a vice president of the Parliament, said “What we don’t accept is we have a writing process [with] the Patriots, accepted by the EPP as partners to build majorities with the three groups of the far right.” 
A sign of things to come? “Manfred Weber’s announcement that EPP would only partner with pro-European, pro-Ukraine, pro-rule of law groups apparently collapsed already at the second plenary week,” said the Greens’ Hannah Neumann. 
EPPushback: “No, we table our text and they agree to it and they sign. What we could do?” said an EPP spokesperson, who accused left-wing MEPs of quitting negotiations and stirring “shit” instead. The Socialists will vote against it, and Renew’s MEPs won’t even participate in the vote in protest, Playbook’s been told. 
MERZ IN BRUSSELS: Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) who will run as the conservative candidate for chancellor in Germany’s next federal election, is expected to attend the EPP’s political assembly in Brussels from Sept. 30-Oct. 1, reports my Berlin Playbook colleague Hans von der Burchard. The trip has yet to be confirmed.
What he could be quizzed about: His plan to suspend EU law to allow Germany to turn away more irregular migrants. That’s worrying European lawyers, as well as Commission boss von der Leyen and the conservative leaders of Poland and Greece, among others. But Merz is undeterred. “He is absolutely determined to take a very offensive stance on the issue,” Hans hears from an CDU official.
When one domino falls … On Wednesday, the Dutch government announced its intention to opt out of EU migration rules, with Hungary quickly following suit. Writing on X, Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka said: “Drastic action is needed to stem illegal migration, the Hungarian government will join the Netherlands in asking for an opt-out from EU asylum and migration rules, if a Treaty amendment allows it.”
Merz’s next stop: After Brussels, Merz plans to visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara in October.
NOW READ THIS: Germany is finally emerging from the first stage of economic grief: denial, writes my colleague Matt Karnitschnig. After years of turning a blind eye and being more concerned about migration and regional conflicts, Germans are slowly coming to terms with the reality that they are in deep economic trouble.
GERMANY DENIES IT HAS STOPPED WEAPONS EXPORTS TO ISRAEL: The German government has significantly reduced its arms sales to Israel this year — but denied reports of a full-scale export block.
TODAY IN PARIS: Senior diplomats from the U.S., France, Germany, U.K. and Italy meet this evening in Paris for an urgent “quint format” crisis meeting to discuss the tense situation in the Middle East. AFP has more.
MEANWHILE, REGION IS BOILING OVER: Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the war is entering a “new phase,” hours after announcing Israeli troops would be moved to the north of the country and a second wave of explosions rocked Lebanon. The Wall Street Journal has a good tick-tock of the covert attack against Hezbollah.
MACRON’S 9 LIVES: Emmanuel Macron has survived losing an election, dissolving parliament, calling another election, losing it, and triggering chaos and confusion by taking forever to appoint a French prime minister. Clea Caulcutt explores how.
ON THE LAMMY: U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy is in Brussels to discuss the post-Brexit future of Gibraltar. He’ll be negotiating with Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and the European Commission’s Maroš Šefčovič.
Brexit think tank teeters: The U.K. in a Changing Europe think tank at King’s College London, which focused on Britain’s relationship with the EU, is in dire financial straits, Director Anand Menon announced on X.
TRUMP AND DUDA: U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is planning to appear with Polish President Andrzej Duda in the battleground state of Pennsylvania this Sunday, Reuters reports.
Tehran wades in: Iranian hackers sent sensitive information stolen from Team Trump to President Joe Biden’s campaign earlier this summer, U.S. investigators said Wednesday. Our Stateside colleagues have more.
Today’s top listen: Power Play host Anne McElvoy speaks with JD Vance’s political confidants to reveal his surprising Hungarian connection, and to uncover what the U.S. vice presidential candidate’s European links mean for his politics now.
**How can the EU foster the uptake of technology in the aviation sector? Join our speakers at POLITICO Live’s event “The uptake of technologies to fly net zero by 2050” on October 16 to learn more. Register now to attend in person!**
— European Parliament’s plenary session concludes in Strasbourg. Debates from 9 a.m., votes from noon. Full agenda.
— Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits Wrocław, Poland; meets Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Czechia’s Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico; they all participate in a press point after. 
— Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts working lunch with the leaders of the six Western Balkan partners; participates in a press conference with Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, on support to Ukraine’s energy security for the coming winter.
— Informal meeting of transport ministers in Budapest. Agenda.
— Coreper II visit to Budapest.
— Council President Charles Michel meets with North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.
— NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will give a speech marking the end of his tenure at 4 p.m. Watch.
— Meeting on the post-Brexit future of Gibraltar in Brussels.
— European Economic and Social Committee President Oliver Röpke meets Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama; press point on an initiative on Enlargement Candidate Members and establishment of an EU-Albania Joint Consultative Committee to monitor the EU-Albania accession negotiations at 9:30 a.m.
WEATHER: High of 23C, sunny.
NO BREATH OF FRESH AIR: We all knew the air quality in town isn’t great, but in some places it’s so bad people want to move, Brussels Times reports.
YIKES: The far-right Vlaams Belang party has put forward a 90-year-old Holocaust denier as one of its candidates at Belgium’s upcoming municipal elections, Seb Starcevic reports.
NEW JOB: Antti Timonen, one of Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s spokesmen, is joining the transition team of incoming Finnish European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen, he confirmed to Playbook.
GERMAN LIBERALS SET TO RULE ALDE: The ALDE Party received just one nomination for the role of president ahead of a vote at its congress in Portugal in October: Svenja Hahn, an MEP from the German liberal FDP.
EU MOVIE AWARDS: The five nominees for the 2025 LUX Audience Award were announced in Strasbourg on Wednesday. They are: “Animal,” “Dahomey,” “Flow,” “Intercepted” and “Julie Keeps Quiet.” Between September and April 2025, the European Parliament will host free screenings in all 27 member countries. EU citizens and MEPs can vote for their favorites starting today.  
JAZZ FESTIVAL: The Saint Jazz Festival returns on Friday, showcasing eclectic artists across jazz, funk and soul. Program here. 
BIRTHDAYS: MEPs Margarita de la Pisa Carrión; former MEPs Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Ian Hudghton, Jérôme Lavrilleux, Vladimír Maňka, Gunnar Hökmark, and Robert Rochefort; POLITICO’s Marion Solletty; former German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas; Eurogroup chief Paschal Donohoe.
THANKS TO: Barbara Moens, Sarah Wheaton, Max Griera, Paul Dallison, Malak Salek, Una Hajdari and Hans von der Burchard; Playbook editor Alex Spence, reporter Šejla Ahmatović and producer Catherine Bouris.
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