10. All this to say: Everyone is in position for the next five years, now it is on the European Parliament to ask the uncomfortable questions in the confirmation hearings.

This new portfolio was allegedly aspired by countries such as Malta and Greece, but Šuica certainly benefited from her experience in the VdL 1 Commission (and that she is – unlike the candidates from those countries – a woman, probably also helped).

9. Dubravka Šuica moves from Demography and Democracy to the Mediterranean. She will be responsible for the wider southern neighbourhood.

With this, VdL not only created a powerful incentive for the Slovenian Parliament to confirm her (which is yet to happen) but signals to the capitals that it pays off to nominate women. Speculations that enlargement and reconstruction of UKR would be part of an EVP’s job didn't become reality.

8. Late-nominee Marta Kos from Slovenia, gets the powerful Enlargement portfolio, which will include the Eastern Partnership countries and with that accession business with Ukraine and Moldova.

Nevertheless, both got “double portfolios”: Trade and Economic Security plus Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency for the Slovak,
Economy and Productivity plus Implementation and Simplification for the Latvian.

7. Maroš Šefčovič and Valdis Dombrovskis, two long-serving and renowned Commissioners had to make space in the EVP team to serve von der Leyen’s promise of a stronger female representation.

Commissioner Magnus Brunner (EPP) might receive strong (and questionable) guidance from Vienna if the far-right wins the elections.

6. Austria has received the portfolio on Internal Affairs and Migration. This comes just days before the elections in the country in which migration traditionally plays a polarizing role.

5. On the other end of this dynamic, rumours about a "weak portfolio" for Hungary abound, and Oliver Várhely, tapped by Orban to continue with the enlargement portfolio, is slated to take care of the, *cough*, highly vital matters of health and animal welfare instead…

It can be expected that Poland will take the Anti-Fraud portfolio very serious to build up a new reputation of rule of law champion. For this, Serafin, a close ally of Prime Minister Tusk is the perfect choice.

A clear signal by von der Leyen that Poland’s reversal of rule of law backsliding is exemplary and justifies that the country once subject to budgetary infringements due to rule of law violations is now entrusted with the whole EU’s budget.

4. Piotr Serafin from Poland has received the powerful Budget portfolio which is now paired with Anti-Fraud.

The confusing pairing with the demography portfolio is gone and has transformed into a Commissioner for intergenerational fairness and youth (Glenn Micallef, Malta) which is much clearer.

3. Less scattering on democracy than in the last term.
The days of nebulous titles are over. The EVP for Values and Transparency turned into Tech-Sovereignty, Security and Democracy while the title of the Justice Commissioner has now a strong reference to the rule of law.

The new Democracy Shield will be coordinated in this portfolio as well as all the work on the rule of law. We are excited to see how the Irishman will implement VdL’s preposition for the rule of law to be increasingly used to cover aspects of the single market.

2. The Justice portfolio has now both Democracy and Rule of Law in the title and goes to Ireland’s Michael McGrath. As one of the role models regarding rule of law track-record this is a good choice.

Virkkunen has strong credentials with regard to legitimacy, as she was actually elected MEP in June and was set to start her work in the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee before the call from Berlaymont came.

As expected from the new EC political guidelines, this has a heavy focus on fighting foreign interference and disinformation and makes the necessary connection between security and democracy.