Malta’s Karmenu Vella touted for Fisheries portfolio

Former tourism minister Karmenu Vella may be the new European Commissioner for Fisheries, a news website specialising in EU affairs reported today.

Malta is not new to the Fisheries portfolio, a post already held by former European Commissioner Joe Borg who later went on to join a PR consultancy firm, Fipra, actively lobbying on maritime issues. Borg was given the commission’s green light to work at the firm.

After Borg’s term, Malta was given the Health and Consumer Policy portfolio held by former European Commissioner John Dalli and succeeded by Tonio Borg.

According to EurActiv.com, the logical choice would be for Malta’s candidate to get the fisheries portfolio. EurActiv has seen a draft organigram prepared by president-elect Jean-Claude Juncker’s services, in which every single commissioner is assigned a portfolio.

The document, the website reports, is not a final version and subject to change. Juncker is currently holding a series of one-to-one interviews with the 27 Commissioners-designate and is expected to announce his line up early next week.

According to EurActiv, the new Commission appears to be quite politically balanced, with the European People’s Party group enjoying 12 portfolios and two vice-presidents. The Socialists and Democrats have eight portfolios, including 2 vice-presidents. The liberal ALDE family has five portfolios and two vice-presidents.

The six vice-presidents are Poland’s Elżbieta Bieńkowska (EPP), with Budget and Financial Control; Estonia’s Andrus Ansip (ALDE) for Growth, EMU, European Semester and Social Dialogue; Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovkis (EPP) for Energy Union; Slovenia’s Alenka Bratusek for Digital and Innovation; the Netherlands Frans Timmermans for Better Regulation and as already decided by EU leaders and Italy’s Federica Mogherini (S&D) as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

It appears that the portfolio held by the French Michel Barnier, the internal market portfolio, has disappeared while Juncker created two new roles: the Energy Union and the Economic Growth commissioners.

Surprisingly, Greece, gets the Migration, Fundamental Rights and Home Affairs portfolio. The country, frequently criticised for its handling of irregular migrants, has become one of the main entry points for asylum seekers heading towards Europe. Greece’s policies and practices towards immigrant populations were described as unjust, inhumane and degrading by several domestic and international actors.