Far-right in the EU: Von der Leyen's Controversial Appointments and Gender Imbalance in the Commission

The appointment of Raffaele Fitto, a far-right Italian politician, as Vice President for Economy and Corona Recovery Funds in the EU Commission, has sparked criticism. This comes amidst concerns over the shift to the right in Thuringia and Saxony.

Additionally, the unequal gender distribution in the new Commission, with only 10 women compared to 17 men, has drawn backlash. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed frustration over the lack of female Commissioner picks from EU capitals.

She emphasized that competence, not gender, is the main criterion for joining her team. However, the low representation of women in her second term has raised concerns.

Meanwhile, the progress of projects in Italy and the utilization of funding are in doubt. Former Italian Minister of Economy Enrico Giovannini has called for a stable transition and highlighted the challenges in managing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Giovannini also suggested replicating the success of the NextGenerationEU program and extending it beyond 2026. The debate continues on the role of the EU in financing and regulating key sectors, as well as addressing gender imbalance and far-right influences in the Commission.