The name of the portfolio assigned to the new Vice President of the European Commission, Greece’s Margaritis Schinas, will change its controversial name, it was made public on Wednesday.
This comes after widespread criticism across the Union that the original title of the portfolio, ”Protecting our European Way of Life,” uses far-right, racist connotations that Europe is under attack. The new portfolio is the responsibility of the new EU Vice President from Greece.
The Progressive Alliance of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, which pressed hard for this change, announced that von der Leyen agreed to change the title of Schinas’ portfolio to ”Promoting our European Way of Life” instead of ”protecting” it.
BREAKING: @IratxeGarper secures changes on core issues from @vonderleyen:
📌Promoting (not protecting) our European Way of Life
📌Social Rights added to @nicolasschmit2 title
📌Fisheries added to @VSinkevicius title
📌@PaoloGentiloni coordinating SDGs https://t.co/KnTTkRNqBo— S&D Group (@TheProgressives) November 13, 2019
Vice President Schinas will be responsible for the issue of migration all across the European Union, in addition to other important policy sectors for the EU.
Von der Leyen’s new Commission is expected to take office on December 1, one month after it was originally planned to do so.
The European Commission is the executive branch of the EU, equivalent to national governments. Each EU member state appoints one Commissioner, who must be approved by the European Parliament before assuming power.
This will be the first time that Greece has ever held one of the Vice Presidential portfolios.
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