The European Parliament has agreed to approve all seven previously unconfirmed candidates for the new European Commission, ending weeks of deadlock among political factions.
For more than a week, the fate of these seven nominees was the subject of political disputes between key groups—the center-right European People’s Party and the Socialists and Democrats.
The impasse had stalled the vetting process for six executive vice presidents (Kaja Kallas, Raffaele Fitto, Roxana Mînzatu, Stéphane Séjourné, Teresa Ribera, and Henna Virkkunen) as well as Hungarian candidate Olivér Várhelyi.
Details of how the disagreements were resolved have not been disclosed. The hearings for commissioner candidates began on November 4 and were initially set to conclude last week.
Debates among parliament members focused particularly on the candidacies of Italian Raffaele Fitto, Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi, and Spaniard Teresa Ribera. The new European Commission is now expected to begin its work on December 1.
