It is becoming increasingly clear that the term of Jean-Claude Juncker’s commission will be extended beyond 1 November, which was supposed to mark the day that the new commission headed by von der Leyen takes over.
According to Le Soir and various Belgian media, there will be an official announcement this Wednesday at 3 pm during a meeting of the Conference of Presidents (the governing body of the European Parliament).
Officials have not yet set an official date but it is probable that the term of Juncker’s commission will be extended by at least one month. It is unlikely that the European Parliament will be able to organise a vote before the next plenary session in late November.
Doubts about the initial timetables started when Ursula von der Leyen was forced to find new candidates for her commission after MEPs rejected candidates from France, Romania, and Hungary. The prospective commissioners from Hungary and Romania did not pass diligence checks while France’s Sylvie Goulard was rejected for ethical reasons.
