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OPP Group SPRL Rue d’Arlon 40 1000 Brussels Belgium

Spitzenkandidaten

1. ​ (European People’s Party)

German MEP since 2004 and leader of the EPP since 2014. Member of the CSU in Germany.

Campaign platform includes (​website)​ : ● Creating a ‘European FBI’ to fight organised crime and terror ● Abolishing over ‘1000 outdated Regulations’ and reducing the number of EU officials ● Creating a ‘Digital Transition Fund’ for factory workers. The fund will be partially financed via a digital tax on the internet giants. ● Application of global agreements on climate change and campaigning for a global ban on single use plastics.

2. ​Frans Timmermans (P​ arty of European Socialists, S&D in the )

Elected to the Dutch Parliament from 1998 to 2007, and from 2010 to 2012. Served as Minister of European Affairs from 2007 to 2010 and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2014. Member of the PvDA in the Netherlands.

Campaign issues (w​ ebsite​): ● Defending European values ● Sustainable Europe based on the circular economy ● Addressing migration via global solutions

3. ​Team Europe ​(Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe)

ALDE decided not to propose a candidate due to its opposition to the whole S​ pitzenkandidaten process. In March 2019, the group announced 7 candidates that it would put forward for the top EU jobs. The candidates are: ● Guy Verhofstadt - MEP, President of the ALDE Group and former Prime Minister of Belgium

OPP Group SPRL, Company Number 0659724219 (Belgium) whose registered address is c/o OPP Group SPRL, Rue d’Arlon 40, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.

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● Margrethe Vestager - Commissioner for Competition, former Danish Minister for Economy and Interior (2011 - 2014) ● Violeta Bulc - Commissioner for Transport ● Luis Garicano - professor of economics and Vice-President of the ALDE Party ● Emma Bonino - Italian senator, former MEP, former Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection (1995 - 1999), former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013 - 2014) ● - Member of the German Bundestag since 2017 and lead FDP candidate in the European elections ● Katalin Cseh - Doctor, founding member of the Hungarian Momentum party and lead candidate in the European elections

The team’s manifesto (available ​here)​ outlines their vision for the liberal future of the and includes: ● A stable framework for sustainable investments ● Increased international cooperation on climate and environment ● Completing the Energy Union and strengthening the ETS ● Support for rules-based free trade ● Research and investment into smart mobility and low-carbon technologies

4. ​ ​ (Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists, ECR in the European Parliament)

Has been an MEP since the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU in 2004. Elected as President of the ECR group in 2011. Prior to entering the European Parliament, he was a member of the Czech Parliament from 1998 to 2004.

His campaign slogan is “Retune the EU” and focused on more flexible approach to integration. His programme (available ​here)​ calls for the completion of more free trade agreements, giving more power to the national governments and he has stated that he does not agree with the Commission setting 2050 as the target date for achieving climate neutrality.

5. ​Ska Keller & ​ (, part of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament)

Ska Keller has been an MEP for Germany since 2009. Bas Eickhout has been an MEP for the Netherlands since 2009, and was previously a climate researcher.

Their common programme (​available here)​ is based on fighting climate change, as well as social justice.

OPP Group SPRL, Company Number 0659724219 (Belgium) whose registered address is c/o OPP Group SPRL, Rue d’Arlon 40, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.

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6. ​Violeta Tomic & Nico Cue (​European Left, part of the GUE/NGL in the European Parliament)

Violeta Tomic is a former actor and served as a​ representative to the Slovenian Association of Dramatic Artists from 2007 to 2011. She was elected to the Slovenian National Assembly in 2014 and since 2018 is the Deputy of the National Assembly.

Nico Cue is a retired steelworker, and former Secretary General of the steelworkers in the FGBT union (Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique).

The manifesto of the European Left is a​ vailable here​.

European Commission 2014 - 2019

Current Member State Commissioner Portfolio Coming Back ? Austria Hann Neighborhood Policy Belgium Thyssen Employment Bulgaria Gabriel Digital Economy & Society International Cooperation & Croatia Mimica Development Republic of Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Cyprus Stylianides Management Czech Justice, Consumers & Republic Jourova Gender Equality Denmark Vestager Competition Estonia Ansip Digital Single Market Finland Katainen Growth & Jobs France Moscovici Finance, tax & customs Germany Oettinger Budget Greece Avramopoulos Migration Education, Youth, Culture Hungary Navracsics and Sport Ireland Hogan Agriculture Italy Mogherini High Representative Latvia Dombrovskis Euro & Social Dialogue Lithuania Andriukaitis Health and Food Safety

OPP Group SPRL, Company Number 0659724219 (Belgium) whose registered address is c/o OPP Group SPRL, Rue d’Arlon 40, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.

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Luxembourg Juncker President Malta Vella Ocean and fisheries Netherlands Timmermans Better Regulation Poland Bieńkowska Internal Market Portugal Moedas Research Romania Cretu Regional policy Slovakia Šefčovič Energy Union Slovenia Bulc Transport Spain Canete Climate & Energy Sweden Malmstrom Trade UK King Security Union

● Fifteen Commissioners are no longer supported by their national government ● Commissioners Thyssen, Oettinger and Malmström will be retiring from political life ● Commissioner Gabriel and Vice-President Ansip are both standing in the European elections ● Commissioner Vestager’s reappointment depends on the outcome of the Danish general election, due to take place on 5 June 2019. Her party, the Danish Social Liberal Party, is currently in opposition ● The Latvian Prime Minister has stated that he would be willing to re-appoint Vice-President Dombrovskis, but his coalition partners could nominate someone else ● Commissioners Stylianides, Jourova, Hogan, Vella, Cretu, Bulc and King continue to have support from their governments

It is too early to speculate about the attribution of the portfolios in the next Commission, but there are several rumours in Brussels: ● French President Macron may nominate Sylvie Goulard for the High Representative/Vice-President role, which would raise his international profile ● France and the Netherlands may try to reach cross-cutting portfolio in order to enhance the power of their alliance ● As Gunter Oettinger will retire from political life, the CDU-CSU will have to choose a new face in the Commission. Peter Altmaier has been mentioned as a possibility. ● Phil Hogan has travelled around the world on trade promoting missions, as well as given speeches concerning trade. This would suggest that he is open to taking up the trade portfolio.

OPP Group SPRL, Company Number 0659724219 (Belgium) whose registered address is c/o OPP Group SPRL, Rue d’Arlon 40, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.