Balancing Power in the EU: Finding a Replacement for Margrethe Vestager

The Commission must maintain a geographically balanced composition in each policy area, as one of the unspoken rules of the bloc. Over the past five years, this rule has been upheld by Valdis Dombrovskis, who served as a fiscally conservative Vice-President from Latvia and counterbalanced Italian Paolo Gentiloni’s leadership in the economy department. Now, Dombrovskis is considering taking on a role focusing on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Margrethe Vestager, Denmark’s digital and competition czar, represented Northern Europe and often clashed with Breton, who was responsible for the industrial portfolio. Vestager will soon be stepping down, leaving a void in the EU for a fiscally liberal leader.

France and Italy have traditionally advocated for looser fiscal rules and more common borrowing due to their significant debt burdens. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have sometimes found common ground on economic policy, much to the surprise of many. However, diplomats from frugal EU countries are concerned about another Italian or French leader taking over the economics department because their spending plans may harm the EU’s financial stability.

The departure of Vestager leaves a gap in the Commission that needs to be filled urgently. As an economically liberal leader popular among member states, her absence has left many feeling uneasy about maintaining harmony within the bloc. The need for a balanced approach to fiscal policies remains crucial to ensuring that all member states feel heard and represented within the Commission.