New EU Commission Confirmed: Glenn Micallef Takes Over Culture Portfolio

On November 27, 2024, the European Parliament approved the new EU Commission. Alongside Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's team, Glenn Micallef was confirmed as the EU Commissioner for Youth, Culture, and Sport.

The formation of the new European Commission was far from a foregone conclusion. Notably, debates arose around Italian politician Raffaele Fitto, a member of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party, and Olivér Várhelyi, known for his close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Ultimately, 370 members of the European Parliament voted in favor of the Commission team, 282 voted against, and 36 abstained.

In early November, Maltese social democrat Glenn Micallef, the Commissioner-designate for Youth, Culture, and Sport, addressed questions from members of the European Parliament. Now confirmed, Micallef, at 35, becomes the youngest individual to hold this position.

In her inaugural address, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explained her choice of Micallef, describing him as a politician “born in the year the Berlin Wall fell,” who would “build bridges between generations,” “support our young people,” and “ensure solidarity between people of all ages.” Meanwhile, Vice President Henna Virkkunen has taken on the portfolio for digital technologies. According to von der Leyen, Virkkunen will “leave no stone unturned to ensure that Europe can use digital technologies to promote its prosperity, unlock its potential for innovation, and ensure greater security for its people.” Von der Leyen emphasized that Virkkunen is “the right person to ensure that Europe’s technological sovereignty is built right here in Europe.”

At the start of her second term, von der Leyen also underscored that freedom “does not come for free,” urging Europe to “invest massively” in security and prosperity. She stressed the importance of unity, asserting that Europe must remain “true to our values” and “overcome fragmentation.”

Notably absent from von der Leyen’s speech, however, were the terms “culture,” “music,” “film,” or “games.”

The new commissioners under Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

• Teresa Ribera Rodríguez Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Fair, and Competitive Transition
• Henna Virkkunen Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy
• Stéphane Séjourné Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy
• Kaja Kallas High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President
• Roxana Mînzatu Executive Vice-President for People, Skills, and Readiness
• Raffaele Fitto Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms
• Maroš Šefčovič Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency
• Valdis Dombrovskis Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification
• Dubravka Šuica Commissioner for the Mediterranean
• Olivér Várhelyi Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare
• Wopke Hoekstra Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero, and Clean Growth
• Andrius Kubilius Commissioner for Defence and Space
• Marta Kos Commissioner for Enlargement
• Jozef Síkela Commissioner for International Partnerships
• Costas Kadis Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
• Maria Luís Albuquerque Commissioner for Financial Services, Saving, and Investment Union
• Hadja Lahbib Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality
• Magnus Brunner Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration
• Jessika Roswall Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and Competitive **Circular Economy
• Piotr Serafin Commissioner for Budget, Fraud Prevention, and Public Administration
• Dan Jørgensen Commissioner for Energy and Housing
• Ekaterina Zaharieva Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation
• Michael McGrath Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and Rule of Law
• Apostolos Tzitzikostas Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism
• Christophe Hansen Commissioner for Agriculture and Food
• Glenn Micallef Commissioner for Generational Justice, Youth, Culture, and Sports

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