World
Economic portfolios are key in talks to chose new EU commissioners
All governments must announce their nominees for the European Commission by August 30.
Ursula von der Leyen is facing challenging negotiations to create her new College of Commissioners with economic portfolios among the most coveted by European Union member states.
Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Czechia and Romania have all indicated they hope to claim one such portfolio, with the one including the budget highly sought after.
“We have the Multiannual Financial Framework to be negotiated in the next term. This will be a very difficult and very heavy dossier, but it will also be something which will be very determining the priorities of the years to come,” Janis Emmanouilidis, a senior policy analyst at the European Policy Center (EPC), told Euronews.
France is also in contention for a strong portfolio as it has nominated Thierry Breton, now Commissioner for the Internal Market, to stay in Brussels for a second term.
“There is always a great interest in Competition and Trade, areas where the EU has a lot of competence,” Sophia Russack, a researcher at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), told Euronews.
“The same applies to those that have a particularly high impact on the budget, for example the cohesion and agriculture funds which together represent around a third of the entire EU budget,” she added.
The new portfolios for grabs
In these power plays, Ursula von der Leyen can also use defence, a new portfolio dedicated to the military industry, seen as very relevant due to the war in Ukraine.
The Mediterranean – linked to migration management – and housing will also have dedicated commissioners for the first time.
To complete the “puzzle” and designate executive vice-presidents, the centre-right Commission chief will also have to take into account which political parties backed her reappointment in the European Parliament in July.
“One can assume that again – given that she is from the EPP, the Conservative Party – there should be a Socialist, a Liberal, and potentially a Green, among the top positions in the Commission,” Emmanouilidis said.
Italy, the EU’s third-biggest economy, has yet to officially indicate its candidate. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni abstained during the European Council vote to renew von der Leyen at the helm of the bloc’s executive.
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), to which Meloni’s party Brothers of Italy belongs, became the fourth biggest political group in the European Parliament and voted against von der Leyen’s confirmation. What portfolio Italy will get is one of the hottest topics in Brussels.
The gender issue
Another trump card to use in the negotiations with the 27 capitals is gender balance as requested by von der Leyen whose first college achieved parity. But fewer than 10 women have been nominated so far by governments to head to Brussels.
“She can argue that if the country offers a very good candidate, then it can also offer her a very interesting portfolio. There are these kinds of backroom deals that can be made to put pressure on member states. So it’s a mix of gender, political and geographical issues, a very complex agreement to implement,” Emmanouilidis said.
On Wednesday, Portugal nominated former Finance Minister Maria Luís Albuquerque, but Denmark announced a male name, Dan Jørgensen, former Minister of Climate and Energy.
ADVERTISEMENT“The issue of gender is also a sign of current times. Parliament itself is currently made up of fewer female members than it was in the past, not even 40%. But we also have to say that in some countries there are internal procedures, for example, that the Parliament and or the President have to agree with the choice of the Prime Minister,” Russack said.
After receiving all the names, von der Leyen will conduct individual interviews and present the final selection to the European Parliament, which will hold hearings with the 26 candidates. If some are rejected, new names must be presented until the entire team is approved in a plenary session.
World
Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for a major expansion of the country’s naval forces, suggesting the regime should build two large warships each year for the next five years.
Speaking at a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer, Kim suggested North Korea should build two warships comparable in size to its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class vessel each year over the next five years, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim was celebrating the deployment of the new multipurpose destroyer at the port of Nampho. In April, he observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the vessel.
The destroyer successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months, according to KCNA.
KIM JONG UN OVERSEES CRUISE MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM PRIZED NEW NORTH KOREAN WARSHIP
North Korea launched two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12, according to North Korean state media. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)
Kim previously hailed the development of the Choe Hyon as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of North Korea’s military.
Kim also said the navy’s nuclearization is “advancing along its own course,” contributing to the country’s nuclear deterrence.
The naval buildup comes as Kim seeks to strengthen what analysts have long viewed as one of the weaker branches of North Korea’s military.
NORTH KOREA RELAUNCHES WARSHIP THAT SUFFERED EMBARRASSING FAILURE DURING INITIAL LAUNCH
The new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon during its commissioning ceremony at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via REUTERS)
KCNA reported that Kim intends to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, along with larger 10,000-ton strategic warships.
The Kang Kon was first unveiled in May of last year but was damaged during a failed launch at the northern port city of Chongjin. The vessel was later relaunched following repairs.
By adding new capabilities, North Korea’s navy would become “something incredible beyond imagination,” Kim said.
NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the commissioning ceremony of the new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via Reuters)
“Building a modernized naval base has emerged as a desperate and essential task,” he added.
State media reported that Kim is also reviewing plans to construct new naval bases.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes strategic cruise and anti-warship missiles test-fired from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12. (Korean Central News Agency/Reuters)
Speaking during a meeting of the Workers’ Party’s Central Committee on Monday, Kim said the navy would undergo changes to its status, role and scope of operations.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He did not elaborate on what those changes would entail.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.
Global Sumud Flotilla group says six others remain in detention and are expected to be released within 24 hours.
Published On 24 Jun 2026
Four pro-Palestinian campaigners detained in Libya for about a month have been released, the Global Sumud Flotilla group has said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the organisation said Achraf Khoja from Tunisia, Matias Rodriguez from Uruguay, and Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, both from Italy, had all arrived in Tunis. Six others are expected to be released in the next 24 hours, it added.
list of 3 itemsend of listRecommended Stories
In an earlier statement, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the news of the released Italians, saying the two, along with Rodriguez, who has Italian citizenship, were handed over to Italy’s consul in Benghazi. They will return to Italy on Wednesday, he said on X.
More than 400 activists were arrested last month in international waters on board dozens of vessels while sailing towards Gaza to break a siege imposed on the enclave by Israel.
The activists held in Libya were part of a separate group which tried to reach the strip by land. They had staged a hunger strike in protest at their detention, the Global Sumud Flotilla said.
According to Amnesty International, on May 24, 2026, an armed group affiliated with Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), which is allied to the de facto authorities in eastern and southern Libya, the Libyan National Army, arrested the 10 humanitarian activists from eight different countries as they were en route to the city of Sirte to negotiate the convoy’s passage with local authorities.
The activists were seeking approval from the authorities for the convoy to continue the journey through Libya and Egypt to reach Gaza.
“Following periods of enforced disappearance ranging from two to nine days, prosecutors interrogated them before ordering their pretrial detention pending investigations into charges of ‘assembly without authorization,’” Amnesty said.
-
Los Angeles, Ca14 minutes agoClue may identify SUV in Long Beach hit-and-run that left woman injured
-
Detroit, MI39 minutes agoIlitch Companies creates gaming platform, expands beyond Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA51 minutes agoFirst of its kind queer museum in San Francisco Chinatown amplifies Chinese LGBTQ artists
-
Dallas, TX53 minutes agoThese children were sold for sex. Then the system failed them again
-
Miami, FL59 minutes agoHard Rock Cafe lets Downtown Miami lease lapse after 30-plus years
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoFederal judge in Boston bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoDenver Broncos Foundation launches extension of ‘ALL IN. ALL COVERED.’ emphasizing youth football participation
-
Seattle, WA1 hour ago
Iran and Egypt to play in Seattle ‘Pride Match’ despite earlier complaints | The Jerusalem Post
