Von der Leyen’s gender agenda

THE RESULTS ARE IN: 777 people voted in my extremely scientific X poll asking what percentage of the EU bubble is still in Brussels. Half of the voters thought that somewhere between 20 percent and 50 percent of the bubble was still in town, and barely anyone thought it was over 50 percent. And yet, the show must go on! 
BACK RUBS FOR EU OFFICIALS: Stressed Commission officials — those who are not lounging on a beach somewhere — can receive massages at their desks, according to an in-house advert seen by Playbook. Chair massages are available from a trained masseur on Tuesdays in the Berlaymont’s “Caring for People Room.” Don’t ask what happens in the Not Caring for People Room.
HAPPY FRIDAY. This is Eddy Wax holding the Playbook fountain pen. Sarah Wheaton will be with you on Monday morning.
VON DER LEYEN’S GENDER BALANCING ACT: Don’t let the summer slump fool you. The first major power struggle of the EU’s next chapter is already brewing. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has asked national capitals to put forward two names for her top team — a man and a woman. To be clear, this is a personal demand, not one written anywhere in the treaties or EU law. But will national leaders comply?
**A message from DIGITALEUROPE: Europe is lagging behind on 7 of 8 critical technologies that will define our future. We can be a digital powerhouse by 2030, but only if President Von Der Leyen’s next Commission and Member States make competitiveness a top priority.**
Summer homework: Von der Leyen sent letters on Thursday to 25 EU governments giving them an Aug. 30 deadline to send her a pair of names. (Yes, the EU has 27 member countries but she is Germany’s commissioner, and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas will serve as foreign affairs chief, so that’s two down). 
Why it matters: Von der Leyen’s gender balance demand is not just a question of equality … It also gives her more choice when building her team, a tricky exercise in which she’ll have to weigh up geography, political affiliation and skill sets. But above all: It’s the first big test of her authority as she prepares for her second term. 
Who’s in charge? After years of grumbling about her top-down leadership style, this is the first chance for national governments to take Queen Ursula down a notch, and set a new tone for the coming years, by imposing their choices on her. 
But that’s a risky strategy: Too much recalcitrance from governments could land them with a miniscule portfolio, and/or no direct control over a directorate general crammed with workaholic civil servants. Want to limit my options for who I pick? von der Leyen might say. Fine! You will have the portfolio for in-house coffee distribution and stationery procurement for the next five years.
We don’t comment on reality: What are the consequences if countries refuse to name a male-female pair? Arianna Podesta, Deputy Chief Spokesperson for the Commission, said: “It’s a process … we’ll not speculate further on what will happen further in the process and hypothetical scenarios.” But they’re not hypothetical — they’re already happening. 
See Ireland, for example: Taoiseach Simon Harris has been vocal about only proposing a male name, insisting that Michael McGrath, who has already stepped down as finance minister in preparation for the role, is Ireland’s one and only candidate. Dublin is adamant that it won’t bow to von der Leyen’s demands — and Harris pointed out last week the EU treaties stipulate that it is member countries that nominate commissioners.
A genuine hypothetical: If Ireland were to put forward an accompanying female name, an obvious candidate would be current commissioner Mairead McGuinness, who is known to be close to von der Leyen. But she belongs to Harris’ Fine Gael party, and its coalition partner Fianna Fáil has first dibs at naming the Commissioner this time around. Other possible names include EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, whose term happens to finish right around the time the new Commission takes office.
Rebellion brewing? Last night the Times of Malta reported that diplomat Glenn Micallef will be Malta’s pick — with no mention of a female candidate. Slovenia and Czechia have each only put forward a man. Spain (Teresa Ribera), Sweden (Jessika Roswall) and Finland (Henna Virkkunen) look set only to put forward a female nominee. 
Yet another man staying? The stars are aligning for current Belgian Commissioner Didier Reynders to stay on, three Belgian officials said, since no political party is willing to expend political capital and risk having fewer ministers in the federal government if they fight for the post. 
On Thursday, Reynders put pressure on his party by saying that his experience and relationship with von der Leyen would help clinch Belgium a good post if he can stay on. But rivals including Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke have not entirely given up hope just yet.
Get out of gender free card: There is a loophole. Countries with commissioners who are returning for another term don’t need to provide a second name, and those candidates don’t need to be interviewed by von der Leyen. This is already swinging in a male direction since the commissioners whose governments have announced they’re coming back are guys: Slovakia’s Maroš Šefčovič, Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis and the Netherlands’ Wopke Hoekstra. The only likely female returnee, aside from von der Leyen herself, is Croatia’s Dubravka Šuica, who hasn’t been officially announced yet. 
Full-scale rebellion? At least publicly, no country has yet formally proposed a male and a female combo … though it’s still relatively early days. 
NO INVITATIONS FOR HUNGARIAN MINISTERS: European Parliament committees won’t be asking Hungarian ministers to present their policy-specific presidency priorities in the first half of September, two committee chairs told Playbook, confirming reporting by Mlex’s Jean Compte. This will last at least until the plenary session in Strasbourg where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is expected to make a speech to Parliament, one of the chairs said.
AUSTRIAN FAR RIGHT SUES WEBER OVER RUSSIA FUNDING CLAIMS: European People’s Party chief Manfred Weber is doubling down on accusations that the Austrian People’s Party (FPÖ) is financed by Russia after the far-right party said it was taking him to court.
Background: In the wake of the FPÖ finishing top in the European Parliament elections in Austria in June, Weber was asked if he’d seek its support for von der Leyen’s Commission candidacy. “Of course not,” he said on the Markus Lanz show, alleging that the party “is financed by Russia and clearly says we must drop Ukraine.”
Now it’s suing: The FPÖ has launched a civil lawsuit against Weber, Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported. The party denies that it was funded by Russia and has demanded that Weber withdraw the allegation. Austria’s socialists and center-right parties have already had to retract similar claims. 
But Weber is not backing down. “The FPÖ has not only signed a friendship treaty with Putin but has not even officially cancelled it after Putin’s invasion into Ukraine with all his war crimes,” he said in a statement to Playbook’s Sarah Wheaton Thursday. “The FPÖ is Putin’s puppet.”
FRENCH MEPS ESCALATE FIGHT: Two French MEPs, one from the EPP group and one from the Left, have lodged judicial complaints against each other after trading barbs all week. 
Bellamy vs Hasan: Center-right politician François-Xavier Bellamy, from the Republicans, kicked things off in a video Tuesday in which he said he’d rallied MEPs to block France Unbowed MEP Rima Hasan — who is Franco-Palestinian — from a vice chair role in the Parliament’s human rights subcommittee, alleging she described the attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 as legitimate. 
Hasan says her comments, which she made in an interview that wasn’t fully published and has been retracted, were taken out of context and didn’t refer to the Oct. 7 attacks. She pushed back on Bellamy’s video and added: “Tremble. This is just the beginning.” In another post, she said Bellamy and his allies sleep well at night but “that is not going to last.”
On Thursday, Bellamy published a statement saying he’s lodging a legal complaint with a French prosecutor claiming Hasan’s words amounted to physical threats. Hasan’s lawyer responded by accusing him of wilfully misinterpreting her comments; she intends to lodge a defamation complaint with a French prosecutor. In the meantime, Hasan’s Left group has appointed her one of its coordinators on the subcommittee on human rights, giving her a prominent role in the committee anyway.
PATRIOTS EYE INDIA DELEGATION: The far-right Patriots for Europe group has claimed the leadership of the Parliament’s delegation with India, according to a grid seen by Playbook. The same cordon sanitaire that has blocked all Patriots candidates to date is set to be imposed by the other political groups when MEPs vote on the leadership roles after the summer recess.
Showing off … The fact the delegation positions aren’t yet decided hasn’t stopped some new MEPs from showing off their shiny titles, rather presumptively. Finnish EPP lawmaker Mika Aaltola already has his role in his X bio. 
EU ACCUSED OF TRADING HUMAN RIGHTS FOR MINERALS: Critics say a deal struck by the EU with Rwanda in February to access minerals used to build electric cars and smartphones is fueling a humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo. Antonia Zimmermann has this must-read story.
HARRIS PRESSES NETANYAHU ON CEASE-FIRE: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said she had a “frank and constructive” meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Thursday, urging him to end the conflict with Hamas and expressing deep concern about the “dire” humanitarian situation in Gaza. “It is time to get this deal done,” Harris told reporters after the meeting. The Associated Press has more.
Meanwhile in the U.S. presidential campaign … Harris’ team is suddenly confronting a very different electoral map, my colleague Charlie Mahtesian reports … the polls are looking slightly better for the Democrats since Joe Biden stood down … Barack Obama is preparing to endorse Harris … and Donald Trump is struggling to find a consistent line of attack against the new frontrunner.
GERMANY KEEN FOR MEGA BREXIT DEAL: Berlin wants to turn Keir Starmer’s proposed security pact into a wider agreement encompassing everything from agricultural rules to the Erasmus student exchange program, my colleague Jon Stone reports.
OLYMPIC GAMES — MACRON’S POLITICAL BREATHER: The Paris Olympics, kicking off tonight with an opening ceremony along the Seine, was meant to be a triumphant moment for President Emmanuel Macron — but it’s also become a respite from the country’s chaotic domestic politics. “We need a break, we need time to calm down, to stop the multiple and various political attacks,” one of Macron’s allies told POLITICO’s Clea Caulcutt.
Terror suspects: French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin last night thanked Belgian authorities for a string of raids on the eve of the opening ceremony that led to seven people being questioned over suspected terrorist activities, the AP reported.
Could you be an Olympian? POLITICO’s data journalism team analyzed what it would take.
LISTEN UP: Head spinning at what’s been happening in American politics? This week’s episode of the EU Confidential podcast is a primer on the foreign policy positions of Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee JD Vance, with Global Playbook author Suzanne Lynch and POLITICO’s Washington-based national security reporter Eric Bazail-Eimil. Also: Josh Posaner and Cristina Gonzalez take us to an undisclosed location in Germany where Ukrainian soldiers are training for trench and urban warfare. Listen here. 
**Join us for POLITICO’s Competitive Europe Week on October 1-3 in Brussels. Engage with key policymakers and industry experts as they discuss Europe’s economic security, industrial policy, and the transformative power of AI in shaping the continent’s future competitiveness. Apply for your pass now!**
— Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni participates in the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Brazil.
— Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas attends the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris.
— Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič is also in Paris, where he has a breakfast meeting with mayors of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
WEATHER: 23C, rain. 
READING JD VANCE IN BRUSSELS: “Hillbilly Elegy,” the popular memoir of Donald Trump’s running mate, is on the summer reading list of former Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius. Now a Green MEP, Sinkevičius whipped out a copy of the book during an interview with POLITICO’s mobility reporter Jordyn Dahl, saying it was a gift from a friend.
THE EU IN SUMMERTIME: With the streets of Brussels now emptier than the notepad of a far-right MEP after a committee meeting, Paul Dallison contemplates the European Quarter’s lighter summer work schedule in his latest Declassified humor column.
CONDOLENCES: Socialists and Democrats President Iratxe García paid tribute to Inés Ayala Sender, a Socialist MEP from 2004 to 2019, who passed away. “Great companion, great socialist and convinced Europeanist,” García tweeted.
BIRTHDAYS: MEP Lídia Pereira, Portuguese Agriculture Minister and former MEP José Manuel Fernandes; former MEPs Nikki Sinclaire, Vasile Blaga and Martina Dlabajová; former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern; French writer Jean-Claude Grumberg; Nicholas Barnabò of Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Karel Janeček, creator of Democracy 21 and POLITICO 28 alum; former Australian Prime Minister John Howard; former U.K. PM Liz Truss; ORF’s Benedict Feichtner.
CELEBRATING SATURDAY: Former Romanian Prime Minister EU Commissioner Dacian Cioloș; MEPs Cristina Maestre Martín de Almagro, Tamás Deutsch and Sergio Berlato; former MEP and French Senator Yannick Jadot;  European Parliament’s Anne-Cécile Gault; VELUX’s Elisabeth Hoffmann; OECD’s James Correia; Transport Community’s Matej Zakonjšek; Newstalk’s Joe Lynam.
CELEBRATING SUNDAY: European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas; former Greek PM Alexis Tsipras; former MEP Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski; Dirk Jacobs of FoodDrinkEurope; Facebook’s Ana Gradinaru; Kumquat’s Bruno Selun; Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
THANKS TO: Barbara Moens, Suzanne Lynch, Sarah Wheaton, Jordyn Dahl, Jacopo Barigazzi; Playbook editor Alex Spence, and producer Catherine Bouris.
**A message from DIGITALEUROPE: Europe has what it takes to be a digital powerhouse by 2030, but our recent study shows we are lagging our global competitors on 7 out of 8 critical technologies like AI and advanced semiconductors. We are also home to only 10% of the world’s 100 most profitable tech companies. President Von Der Leyen’s next Commission and Member States have a golden opportunity to turn the tide and put competitiveness first. Our plan: more investments, a unified digital rulebook, simplified reporting and stronger partnerships with likeminded countries. Read more.**
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