'If you don't ask, you don't get it': von der Leyen denounces lack of female Commissioner picks

Von der Leyen said that without her efforts, the next 'college' of European Commissioners would have been dominated by men.

Transcript

00:00Urtula von der Leyen has voiced exasperation after EU governments undermined her efforts

00:06to strike a gender balance in her team of European commissioners.

00:11In a letter to EU governments, the Commission President had asked for two candidates, one

00:15male and one female, for each of the influential roles.

00:19Only one member state, Bulgaria, heeded that request.

00:23The other countries predominantly nominated men.

00:26I have, throughout my whole political life, been fighting for women having access to decision-making

00:33position and leading position.

00:36And my experience is that if you don't ask for it, you don't get it.

00:44It does not come naturally.

00:47And this is why I sent my letter.

00:50Because if I would not have sent this letter, there would not have been a hook also to look

00:55at the diversity topic.

00:57Estonia's Kaja Kalas was nominated to be the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs

01:02by EU leaders back in June.

01:05Of the remaining 25 places up for grabs in von der Leyen's team of commissioners, just

01:10eight women are currently in the running.

01:13Von der Leyen says that without her efforts in pressuring member states to put forth women,

01:18the roster of candidates would have been even more dominated by men.

01:24If I would not have sent this letter, what would have been the fact or the case?

01:29The initial proposals, if you look at the names you all know, besides the High Representative

01:37and me, the President, for the 25 member states that then nominate, would have been four women

01:45and 21 men.

01:47So without that letter and without that discussion, this would be the next college.

01:53And therefore, it is absolutely worth it.

01:56Von der Leyen is currently interviewing candidates and is expected to hand out policy portfolios

02:02by mid-September.

02:04The candidates must then undergo questioning by members of the European Parliament and

02:07survive a confirmation vote before they can take up their positions.

02:12Unless the Commission Chief can further rectify the gender imbalance, she could be leading

02:17one of the EU Executive's most male-dominated team of commissioners in a decade.