EU’s ‘Climate Pope’ Officially Resigns, Šefčovič Assumes Duties

Effective immediately, Brussels insider Maroš Šefčovič will replace Frans Timmermans as executive vice president of the European Commission.

Timmermans, who formally resigned to pursue the premiership in the upcoming Dutch elections, is both lauded and reviled and has garnered a reputation as a staunch—some would say bullish—advocate of ever-more ambitious climate goals.

The European Commission announced the changing of the guard in a press statement on Tuesday, August 22nd. 

That means Šefčovič, already vice president for ‘interinstitutional relations and foresight,’ takes over three positions held by his predecessor: the role of executive vice president, commissioner in charge of the Green Deal, and, on a temporary basis, commissioner in charge of the EU’s climate department. 

A former politician and diplomat in his native Slovakia, Šefčovič, 57, is one of the longest-serving European Commissioners.

“Having successfully dealt with the most challenging files in the past, Maroš Šefčovič is one of the most senior and experienced members of my college,” said von der Leyen. “He will be in charge of bringing the European Green Deal forward with the same priority.”

The Commission president also paid tribute to Timmermans’ “passionate and tireless work to make the European Green Deal a reality.”

Šefčovič said he was “humbled” to be chosen, and that he would “continue rolling out the Green Deal, with a strong focus on our industries and our citizens.”

In a letter, von der Leyen has asked outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte to quickly come up with two candidates (one male and one female) to head the EU’s climate department on a more permanent basis.

Von der Leyen will then pick one, after which the European Parliament will question the new Dutch European commissioner candidate in a hearing. A majority vote by MEPs is then needed to clinch the deal. 

As potential candidates, the names of outgoing ministers Sigrid Kaag (Finance, D66) and Kajsa Ollongren (Defense, D66), Timmermans’ chief of cabinet and former Labour Party leader Diederik Samsom, and Dutch MEP Esther de Lange have been suggested.

Earlier on Tuesday, Timmermans was officially elected by party members as the one leading the PvdA-GroenLinks alliance, after which he submitted his resignation as European Commissioner. 

Timmermans, himself a PvdA party member, has been on  the European Commission since late 2014 and responsible for the EU’s climate policy since 2019, 

Less than a year before the European elections, Timmermans’ departure comes at an inopportune time. 

Not only is his pet project, the EU’s Green Deal, still only partially rolled out, but the bloc will need to make do without him at the UN’s climate conference (COP28) in Dubai this winter, where important international agreements are expected to be made.