Commissioner hearings live blog: Šefčovič, Micallef, Hansen and Tzitzikostas

The highly-anticipated hearings of EU commissioner designates finally start, running from Monday (4 November) until next Tuesday (12 November) in rooms 2Q2 and 4Q2 in the Antall building.

The European Parliament president Roberta Metsola described the hearings as “an important moment for European democracy” — and although some see them as mere political theatre, MEPs can, in fact (and have done in the past), reject candidates in a show of strength.

But how does it work?

Each of the 26 would-be EU commissioners gets exactly 180 minutes of playtime — or, in this case, talk time. After presenting their programmes, the nominees face and respond to questions from the different groups throughout several rounds of Q&A. 

After the hearings, the chair and the coordinators of each political group from the responsible committees, plus the chairs of the invited committees, will evaluate the suitability and knowledge of the portfolios the commissioner designates have been assigned.

They have 24 hours to decide on whether to accept or reject the nominee — a decision that requires a two-thirds majority. 

Here is the detailed schedule and committee allocation for each commissioner. But don’t worry, EUobserver has you covered. You can follow the hearings and reactions to them with our daily live blog.

22:12 Main takeaways

Christophe Hansen wants a level playing field for EU farmers, making sure non-EU exporters follow the same rules so EU farmers aren’t at a disadvantage. He’s planning to be very hands-on, meeting farmers across the EU, and will put out a big report on agriculture’s future in his first 100 days, aiming to cut red tape and support younger farmers.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas is putting rail safety front and centre, especially after the tragic Greek rail accident in 2023, and is pushing to connect EU capitals with high-speed rail. He’s also wants people to take the train more, especially for long-distance travel, saying it’ll be a better option as it becomes more affordable and reliable.

Maroš Šefčovič plans to “rebalance” the EU-China trade relationship, saying the EU needs to be tougher on China’s unfair practices. He’s also promising more transparency, especially around lobbying in the EU, and plans to fix up the EU Transparency Register to close loopholes.

Glenn Micallef wants to keep the EU’s diverse languages alive, pushing for more support for minority languages as part of Europe’s cultural heritage. He’s also all-in on expanding Erasmus+, including vocational training, and is looking for the parliament’s support to prevent budget cuts that might hold back the program.

Thank you for staying with us throughout the day. Stay tuned for tomorrow's live blog.

22:04 Tzitzikostas’ hearing is over

In his closing speech, the Greek nominee for transport and tourism said that “by working together […] we [the EU] can create a future of sustainable prosperity and competitiveness in both transport and tourism.”

Alluding again to the Greek railway tragedy of 2023 he added that “every life lost is an unspeakable tragedy. Knowing that building strong systems, following rules and using modern tools could prevent accidents like these makes this mission even more pressing.”

22:02 Hansen vows to fight for farmers

Agriculture nominee Christoph Hansen has survived his three and a half hour marathon. 

In his concluding remarks Hansen repeats that he will be a ‘boots on the ground commissioner’ and promises to visit the Valencia region which has suffered devastating floods if he is appointed. 

"We have to make our rural areas more attractive and provide more opportunities,” he says, adding that the CAP is the best tool for doing that. 

“I will be there to fight for them,” he says.  

21:48 Tzitzikostas backs Schengen membership for Romania and Bulgaria

Tzitzikostas says that he is in favour of the Schengen borders being extended.

“I believe that Romania and Bulgaria have met all the criteria for the Schengen membership. Of course, it's not in my remit. It's in the responsibility of the commissioner for Home Affairs and Security, but I will discuss, and I believe that the extended Schengen rules should be extended to the internal borders,” he said.

“This will boost economic growth [and] it will strengthen the unity,” he added.

21:34 Commissioner for tourism

German MEP Siegbert Frank Droese is unconvinced by Tzitzikostas’ speech on tourism in the second half of the hearing.

“You spoke about tourism. You want to be a commissioner for tourism. I don't think we need a commissioner for tourism. The national states do that very well on tourism ... tourism is linked to national identity and culture,” he said.

Tzitzikostas replies that are many European identities all “becoming one in the European Union.”

“Of course, countries, regions, the cities, the villages, the islands, keep their own characteristics, of course, but that's the richness of the European Union, because we can be a big family with different identities,” he says.

21:05 Tzitzikostas probed on port safety

Apostolos Tzitzikostas is questioned by a Patriot MEP about his strategy for controlling marine traffic and defending EU ports against criminal gangs.

The nominee commissioner replies: “I will be here to monitor the situation and make sure that we [the EU] include in our port strategy issues concerning [the] safety and security of our ports.”

“So it's very important not only [to] have good connectivity, but at the same time to have secure and safe places for our workers and the people that are involved in this chain,” he added. 

21:00 A Hansen family affair

Things briefly get heated after Slovakian social democrat Katarína Roth Neveďalová expresses concern that Christophe Hansen’s cousin is the agriculture minister in Luxembourg. “Are you going to represent all Europeans and not just Luxembourg?,” she asks. 

Hansen earns applause saying that he will take an oath to represent all Europeans, adding that he comes from a large farming family, several of whom are politicians for different parties, including the socialists. 

20:45 Tzitzikostas questioned on support for the car industry (again)

French liberal MEP Valérie Deveaux questions Tzitzikostas on his plan to support workers in car industry plants specialising in sectors that will probably die with the transition to electric vehicles, such as the “thermic value chain, which is probably going to disappear,” said Deveaux.

“All transitions are difficult,” says Tzitzikostas. “We need to find ways, and we need to find funding that will allow us to help the automotive sector make the transition and be able to obtain the goals that we have set,” he adds.

“It is not an easy task, I know, but we are here,” he added.

20:38 Food labelling rules must be cost-conscious

Italian MEP Sergio Berlato asks the agriculture nominee for his stance on food labelling. Christophe Hansen says that the first priority is to ensure that consumers are not misled.

"Some voluntary labelling is misleading," he says, calling for "a streamlining exercise" on voluntary labelling.  

"We need to look at affordable food. How much is labelling and packaging going to cost? I don’t want to overburden small businesses," adds Hansen.

20:30 Tzitzikostas lukewarm on wind propulsion

Tzitzikostas is asked for his opinion about wind propulsion by a Green MEP, as “wind propulsion could save us a lot of money in fuels and bring us forward on our climate goal.”

The transport and tourism nominee says that he is in favour of wind technologies, but noted that “we still need to assess a little bit more on how this technology works and measure the actual contribution to the goals that we have.” 

20:21 Ukraine the 'elephant in the room' on enlargement

Hansen is asked to provide assurances that future enlargement of the EU won’t hurt farming incomes.

The Luxembourgish nominee agrees that “the elephant in the room is Ukraine because it is a powerhouse of production” and currently accounts for one third of European production. Hansen says that his brother feared that the price of his crops would drop when eastern and central European states joined the EU in 2004. 

20:07 Oppose Mercosur, MEPs tell Hansen

Now Hansen is being grilled about the Mercosur trade agreement, with several MEPs stating that farmers oppose it and so should he. Hansen replies that the EU exported €230bn of agricultural products last year. He adds that he won’t have a vote on Mercosur, unlike MEPs. 

20:01 Tzitzikostas quizzed on shipbuilding

Tzitzikosta is asked about his plans to keep the shipbuilding sector competitive.

“We have to learn from our mistakes,” said Tzitzikostas, relating to the solar panels sector where 96 percent of the solar panels installed in the EU come from China. Tzitzikostas’ solution is to develop “better conditions for the European industry and its workers”.

19:51 Future proof the CAP

Asked about what the next seven year EU budget will mean for the CAP, Hansen points out that one third of the EU budget is spent on agri-food and environmental protection measures.

He adds that the next multi-annual financial framework needs to "future proof the CAP and the incomes policy" to cope with new EU members joining the bloc.

19:42 'Billions for billionaires'

Irish leftist MEP Ming Flanagan asks if the new Commission will force EU governments to pay more CAP money. Hansen agrees that the mandatory aspect of CAP payments needs to be put on the table again. “Billionaires are getting billions of euros in taxpayer money...that is not the CAP that I want to stand for,” he says. 

19:33 Tzitzikostas questioned on car industry competitively

A Patriot for Europe MEP complains that the European auto sector appears to be dying. “BMW is closing three factories in Germany. Mercedes wants to sell all its dealerships. There's a standstill production at BMW Fiat is closing factories in Poland and Italy. And Audi Ford, Volvo, etc, are either closing or reducing production,” said the MEP.

In response, Tzitzikostas says his strategy will aim to "create cheaper vehicles, accessible to citizens, by putting the infrastructure that is needed so that citizens are confident and feel safe to take a car to go on a trip."

19:28 'Our farmers feel disadvantaged'

Italian conservative Carlo Fidanza asks Hansen how he will make sure that exporters to the EU have to meet the same standards as EU farmers. 

"Our farmers often feel disadvantaged," replies Hansen, adding that "we need to work on reciprocity."

He points out that several new EU laws, including the deforestation regulation - on which he was the rapporteur for the European Parliament - is about imposing EU standards on third countries. 

19:08 Tzitzikostas faces questions on the Greek rail disaster

In his opening speech, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Greek Transport commissioner-designate said he would put forward a plan to connect EU capitals and large cities by high speed rail “so that no region is left behind”.

Tzitzikostas urged citizens across the EU “to switch to rail, including night trains when the connections are affordable, convenient and reliable.”

Greek opposition party Syriza stated earlier today that Tzitzikostas' nomination was made “to act as a veil to cover up [the government’s] responsibilities for the mismanagement of the railway network.”

Referring to the Greek rail accident in February 2023 that killed 57 people, Tzitzikostas says that “such an accident should never happen again anywhere in Europe. So safety will be my number one priority, and I will be strict with all member states, because we have common rules and tools to prevent such accidents today, but they are not always respected or deployed, and this is unacceptable.”

19:05 Hansen: "A fair day's pay for a fair day's work"

Agriculture Commissioner designate Christophe Hansen starts by telling MEPs that growing up on a family farm means that “I know the good and bad times of farming”. 

He promises to be “a boots on the ground commissioner” meeting farmers across the EU. 

Hansen adds that in his first 100 days in office he will publish a report on the future of European agriculture.  

His opening remarks focus on curbing regulation and bureaucracy and keeping European farming economically viable. 

"Only 10 percent of farmers are under 40 and we are heading towards a demographic cliff...they need a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work,” he says. 

17:56 Šefčovič: 'I know that this was very long'

Šefčovič has made his closing remarks, after a more than three-hour hearing with MEPs from different committees. “Will this century be Chinese? Will the century be American? I think we can make sure that essentially will be also European”.

17:34 Micallef is over

Elizabeth Dirth, campaigner at the non-profit independent think-thank ZOE Institute for Future-Fit Economies deplores a lack of clarity on Micallef’s action plan concerning intergenerational policy. “Unlike youth, culture and sport, intergenerational fairness is new and will need strong leadership to embed it throughout the commission. I would have liked to hear more about Micallef’s approach to integrating intergenerational approaches throughout decision-making and the policy process – details on this are still lacking,” she told EUobserver.

17:25 Micallef on Erasmus (again)

As there are growing concerns that the Multiannual Financial Framework's (MFF) cultural spending could be drastically cut, particularly with regard to Erasmus, the nominee commissioner was asked by a left-leaning MEP how he intended to advance Erasmus + when serving as a commissioner. Micallef said that he was confident he would be able to strengthen Ermamus+.

The Maltese nominee also emphasised the significance of exploring new approaches to the programme development, such as the incorporation of vocational education into the Erasmus+. Micallef appealed for the parliament's support, saying, "I hope to be able to count on this committee support so that we reach on our goals together in this area.”

17:10 Šefčovič pledges less red tape

"Simplification doesn't mean deregulation," Šefčovič said, arguing that the EU Commission remains committed to achieving the goals set out during the last legislative term but with much less red tape.

This has been a clear demand from the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) of EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

Šefčovič is doing a good job in this hearing, handling tough questions with confidence and demonstrating his expertise on trade matters. His calm and clear answers will clearly leave a strong impression on the committee members, and with less than 30 minutes remaining, he seems likely to get the greenlight.

17:00 Micallef on discrimination against old people

Micallef did not provide a suitable action plan to address discrimination against older people in the workplace when questioned about his views on ageism and senior discrimination. Instead, he applauded the EU's good quality of life supporting people to live longer, “the fact that we have greater longevity is a testament to our quality of life” he said. Micallef mentioned the need for adapting society to higher longevity, stating that “one-in-two young people that are being born today will live to 100 years of age. The way we look at education, the way we look at employment policies, the way we look at housing policies as well as climate change” must be adapted, he added.

16:45 Šefčovič on treaty change

While arguing that treaty changes are up to EU member states and a subject mainly in the hands of EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Šefčovič said that special attention should be given to enlargement and the possibility of vetoes.

“Our enlargement process, which is based on 35 negotiating chapters, is extremely heavy,” he said, adding that there are about 72 vetoes possibilities to veto in the process of admitting a new EU country to the bloc. Member states, he argued, could address these procedures with a qualified majority instead of unanimity. For more background, read Rigels Lenja's piece about the misuse of the veto power on enlargement policy. "We must also see the enlargement as a catalyst for progress on our capacity to act," Šefčovič also said, referring to potential reforms the EU will need to undertake.

16:40 Micallef on child poverty

“We have 20 percent of our societies in the European Union that are made up of children, and a quarter of them who are at risk of poverty. So we're speaking about a little bit more than 20 million children that are at risk of poverty. That is the combined population of Austria, Bulgaria and Ireland, at risk of poverty now means that they are on a cliff edge, one unexpected move, and they are poor,” Micallef said.

The commissioner nominee asserts that while the EU Commission must provide children with access to healthcare, education, and care, it must also focus on assisting low-income parents and families in establishing a robust children's rights framework. "There is a direct link between the state of children in our societies and the labour market conditions of the parents," he said.

16:30 Micallef on inclusivity in sport competition

MEP Stephen Nikola Bartulica (ECR) asked: “do you think that the competition of men in a women's sport or women's discipline is something that can be considered a European value?” MEPs applauded loudly as Micallef responded “the sporting movement is to decide on how they govern their sports without external influence. And this is a sport model that I will continue to defend. It's their decision. It's the sporting movements decision to decide on these issues.”

He added: “My priority will be to encourage Europeans to be active and to stay healthy. Sport is for everyone, no matter what your background is, what your gender is, what your identity is, because that is the union that I believe in, a union of equality.”

16:20 Šefčovič on Valencia floods

Spanish socialist MEP Javier Moreno Sánchez thanked Šefčovič for his words about the tragic floods in Valencia, Spain, where over 200 people have died and hundreds are missing. “I saw the pictures, it is absolutely devastating,” he said, arguing that this showed that climate change has this destructive potential that was difficult to imagine a few years ago. Šefčovič hearing started with a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the floods in Spain.

16:15 Šefčovič: EU an 'agri-food superpower'

“Europe is [an] absolute agri-food superpower,” Šefčovič said, arguing that recent trade agreements have led to the expansion of these exports. The Slovak commissioner was responding to a question from French MEP Christophe Bay of the far-right National Rally party, who claimed that the negotiations have been opaque — a problem already acknowledged by Šefčovič earlier in the hearing.

But he tried to calm MEPs in the trade committee, arguing that a technical team would debrief lawmakers about the state of EU-Mercosur negotiations next Monday (11 November). Two of France's leading farming unions are planning protests in mid-November, coinciding with the EU's expected finalisation of the trade deal with the South American bloc. Earlier this year, farmers' placards during protests in Brussels called on leaders to reject the EU-Mercosur agreement.

16:00 Micallef on cyberbullying

Asked by an MEP from the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) about his action plan against cyberbullying (especially targeted against young people) Micallef stressed the importance for creating a common definition of cyberbullying. Alongside cooperating with “civil society through the trusted flagger scheme to ensure that they contribute to our efforts in detecting and identifying cyberbullying online” he said. “And finally encouraging a culture of seeking advice and of reporting cyberbullying, because there are still many cases that go undetected, and that is something we need to work [on]” he added.

15:45 Micallef on Erasmus in Hungary

An MEP from the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations group enquired of the nominee commissioner regarding the 21 Hungarian colleges who were denied EU Erasmus funding because of their funding foundation. Micallef replied “the ball is in the Hungarian government's court to prove that the risks that were highlighted are not there anymore, and once that is proven, then the commission will make a proposal." He pointed out this issue does not affect all Hungarian universities but only some of them.

15:40 Šefčovič on EU-Israel trade deal

Irish MEP Lynn Boylan, from The Left, asked Šefčovič whether he was ready to commit to upholding international and EU trade law and — given the human rights breaches observed in the region — to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement.

He evaded the question, arguing that changes to the trade agreement with Israel can only be made by the unanimous consent of EU member states.

“We've been very clear with the representatives of the Israeli government that our priority is not only a ceasefire, but we want to have two-state solutions,” he said.

Šefčovič also avoided responding to Boylan's request for public disclosure of the legal advice the EU Commission has apparently commissioned, regarding how the EU is not complicit in genocide. He said these issues are closer to the competences of the new EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas.

15:32 Šefčovič: ‘Open to trade’ but ‘super vigilant’

“We are open for trade,” Šefčovič said when asked by EPP MEP Jörgen Warborn whether the commission will speed up the conclusion of currently negotiated free trade agreements like Mercosur, Mexico, India and Australia.

In response to a question from a Green MEP, he noted that the Mercosur negotiations have been “extremely lengthy” — but assured that the EU executive is “super vigilant” regarding the overall benefits of this deal for the EU and European farmers. He also promised to come to the European Parliament with a PowerPoint presentation and a calculator to discuss all the figures with MEPs.

15:30 Micallef on linguistic diversity

Micallef stated he supported maintaining linguistic diversity within the EU. “One of the main pillars upon which we built culture is the preservation of our cultural and historical heritage, that includes linguistic diversity,” he said. With over 50m people speaking regional or minority languages in the EU, “investments need to be given priority to continue promoting linguistic diversity,” he said.

15:20 Šefčovič on the far-right 'cordon sanitaire'

Asked by an MEP from the Patriots for Europe group (previously ID) about his views on the 'cordon sanitaire' on far-right MEPs, Šefčovič said: "I will work with every MEP who's very clear they support pro-European policies, that they're ready to work for European unity and make Europe stronger, and support the fight of Ukraine for its freedom."

15:05 Micallef on AI threat

Regarding AI's application in the EU, Maltese commissioner nominee Glenn Micallef emphasised the challenges artists face in light of artificial intelligence's rapid advancements.

“I believe that artists should be able to focus on on being creative, on their job, and should not have to worry about earning a decent living,” he said. “We have to see how union financing in the next mandate can be more strategic and more impactful to improve the working conditions of artists and to boost the competitiveness of our cultural and creative sector industries."

15:00 Šefčovič pledges more transparency

Šefčovič, whose own SMER party is led by pro-Russia Robert Fico, pledged to strengthen the standing requirements of the EU’s transparency register to “all managers”.

“I will use the opportunity of next year's review of the inter-institutional agreement on the Transparency Register to perform a fitness check,” he said.

Watchdogs have denounced in the past that lobbyists benefit from loopholes in the EU’s transparency register to influence EU policy-making.

“The register still contains large loopholes, and the lack of monitoring, resources and enforcement make it unfit to help detect undue influence on the political process,” warned Corporate Europe Observatory, arguing that the Qatargate scandal proved it to be dysfunctional.

14:50 Šefčovič on China

Talking about China as the EU’s third-biggest and “most challenging trading partner,” the Slovak commissioner nominee said it is crucial to “rebalance” the EU-China relationship.

“This means being more assertive in challenging China's structural imbalances and unfair practices such as non-market policies driving over capacity,” he added.

This follows the EU's imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, which has prompted Beijing to launch a formal complaint against the EU at the World Trade Organization (WTO.)

14:45 Šefčovič's hearing kicks off

“Trade has become a geostrategic tool,” said Šefčovič during his opening remarks, pledging to finalise trade deals still pending.

“Today's international trade environment is marked by stark competition over disruptive new technologies and the weaponisation of economic dependencies,” he added.

Šefčovič, the commissioner-designate for trade and economic security and for inter-institutional relations and transparency, is a familiar face in Brussels, having been a member of Jose-Manuel Barroso's team and subsequently serving under Jean-Claude Juncker from 2014 to 2019, as well as Ursula von der Leyen’s first legislative term from 2019 to 2024.

13:30 Getting ready

In today’s menu (from left to right in the picture), MEPs will grill Slovakia’s Maroš Šefčovič, Malta’s Glenn Micallef, Luxembourg’s Christophe Hansen and Greece’s Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

Šefčovič, the 58-year-old commissioner-designate for international trade and economic security, is expected to face questions about his strategy for addressing growing competition with the US and China. His hearing will take place as Slovak PM Robert Fico visits Beijing — with Bratislava emerging alongside Budapest as a key defender of closer ties with China. With more than 15 years of experience serving in the European Commission, Šefčovič is expected to navigate his hearing smoothly and effectively.

At 35, Micallef is the youngest of the commissioner-nominees, hoping to get the culture portfolio. His work will also focus on intergenerational fairness — a nice add-on but whose practical value remains to be seen. “Micallef needs to show he understands the power of ‘future thinking’ and has ideas on how to embed it across decision-making,” said Elizabeth Dirth from the ZOE Institute for Future-Fit Economies in Cologne. For more background, don’t miss her oped examining Micallef’s new role.

Luxembourg's 42-year-old former MEP Hansen, a trade specialist, is set to face tough scrutiny from lawmakers (especially green and leftwing MEPs) after aligning himself with industry arguments against additional regulation. “Rather than new legislative proposals, we can achieve our objectives by better implementing and enforcing existing legislation while using incentives and new market-based tools to promote change,” he said in his written question to MEPs ahead of the hearing.

Greece's Tzitzikostas, the former president of the European Committee of the Regions who has been appointed as transport and tourism commissioner, is likely to face questions about pending legislation and plans to overcome pushbacks against the EU's 2035 de facto ban to sell new petrol and diesel cars. 

Tzitzikostas, however, may also face questions about his extensive real state declaration and potential conflict of interests as well as about his ties with far-right Greek groups, as he is remembered for inviting neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party members to an event in 2013 and abstaining from signing an agreement between Thessaloniki and the UNHCR to improve conditions for asylum seekers in 2016.