This week in Brussels, European parliamentarians begin their closed-door confirmation hearings of candidates for the EU Commission. Incoming president Ursula von der Leyen has until 1 November to assemble a team. Her plans, unveiled earlier this month, have already been sharply challenged. Two of her nominees were rejected last week.
One aspect of her proposals has not drawn much attention, but deserves much closer scrutiny: a planned ‘Democracy and Demography’ portfolio and the nomination of Croatian MEP Dubravka Šuica to manage it. The combination of this nomination with this specific portfolio could be catastrophic for sexual and reproductive rights in Europe.
As an MEP since 2013, Šuica has developed a track-record of voting against women’s and LGBTIQ rights. Last year, she challenged a report on the EU’s Gender Action Plan by tabling a motion removing references to sexual and reproductive health and rights altogether. When this motion failed, she abstained from voting on the final report.
