LIVE Hearings: Margaritis Schinas VP – Protecting our European way of life

LIVE Hearings today with Margaritis Schinas Vice-President for Protecting our European way of life. Margaritis Schinas is heard by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) of the European Parliament​​​​​​​ for a hearing to test his general competences. Members of the European Parliament in Brussels test his European commitment and specific expertise related to his portfolio.

Who is Margaritis Schinas?

Margaritis Schinas is a Greek civil servant and politician, member of the New Democracy and EPP party. He was a Member of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2009. Margaritis Schinas became famous as Chief Spokesman of the European Commission of Jean-Claude Juncker. He became the first Greek to hold such a high-ranking position in the Europe’s top decision-making body.

In 2010, Schinas was appointed Deputy Director of the Bureau of European Policy Advisers by President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. He had worked at the European Commission from 1990 until 2007 and held a number of senior posts, including as chief of staff for the Cypriot Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, from 2004 to 2007. In April 2013 he was appointed Director at the Commission’s Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs.

Following the 2019 European election, Margaritis Schinas was nominated to serve as the European Commission vice president for “Protecting our European Way of Life”, who will be responsible for upholding the rule-of-law, migration and internal security.

Protecting our European Way of Life

The portfolio covers the areas of migration, security union, employment and education and culture. The mission letter explains that the European way of life is defined as “built on the principles of dignity and equality for all.

Margaritis Schinas
Vice-President-designate, Protecting our European Way of Life

After the hearing by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) of the European Parliament​​​​​​​, the committees prepare an evaluation letter on the candidate. Parliament will vote on the new Commission as a whole on 23 October.

European Commission by Ursula von der Leyen

The team of European Commissioners – proposed by its President-elect Ursula von der Leyen – ‘shall be subject as a body to a vote of approval by the European Parliament’.

Before taking this vote, European Parliament committees conduct hearings with the proposed Commissioners in accordance with Parliament’s internal Rules of Procedure.

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