Von der Leyen’s rentrée from hell

What’s driving the day in Brussels.
By NICHOLAS VINOCUR
with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH
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BARNIER FOR FRENCH PM? Our Playbook Paris colleagues report this morning that it looks like French President Emmanuel Macron could finally name a new prime minister today: Michel Barnier. Three people with knowledge of the deliberations confirmed Macron was seriously considering tapping the former European commissioner for the job, with one person even hinting Barnier had been in the Elysée last night. Stay tuned.
GREETINGS. This is Nick Vinocur, bringing you the latest news and chatter from the Brussels bubble. Last night was POLITICO’s back-to-school party, which was pumping when your author ducked out to … write Playbook. If you were hoping to connect and didn’t get a chance, please don’t be shy. Sarah Wheaton will be holding the pen for Friday’s edition. Now to more news …
MO’ POWER, MO’ PROBLEMS FOR VON DER LEYEN: Let’s hope she had a proper summer holiday, because European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s problems are piling up well before her second term gets off to an official start.
When it rains: From the risk she’ll preside over a male-dominated team to a likely delay to the official start of her second mandate, and from socialist ire over appointments to a growing backlash over Italy’s commissioner pick, it’s shaping up to be a long few months until the new gang finally gets going.
Problem set #1: Despite assurances that the new Commission would start on Nov. 1, it’s looking more likely that the kickoff will be delayed until the following month. In this story out today by top colleagues Max Griera and Barbara Moens, eight EU lawmakers, parliamentary officials and European diplomats say Parliament is not hurrying to sign off on the next batch of commissioners.
Easy there! “There is no rush,” a senior parliamentary official said after the month-long break in EU affairs, insisting everyone would benefit from extra time: “The nominees want as many days as possible to prepare.”
Gender studies: The likely delay is yet another setback for von der Leyen, who is struggling to achieve her goal of a gender-balanced institution. So far, there are only nine female nominees and several EU capitals are publicly resisting pressure to switch out their men for women.
Problem set #2: This thing we call politics. Von der Leyen faces anger from Europe’s Socialist and Democrats (S&D), who are disappointed their lead candidate in the European Parliament election, Nicolas Schmit, didn’t get the nod from Luxembourg to serve a second term at the Commission, Playbook hears from several parliamentary officials. The commissioner hearings, now likely starting in mid-October, will be a chance for the S&D to show its teeth by grilling von der Leyen’s chosen team.
There’s more: Prepare for outrage over reports that Italy’s Raffaele Fitto, a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, is being lined up for a senior job as executive vice president in the new Commission, complete with a hefty portfolio. For Valérie Hayer, president of Parliament’s liberal Renew group, Fitto’s appointment as an EVP — if confirmed — is nothing short of “unacceptable.”
Say it ain’t so: “I hope the rumors aren’t true,” Hayer said during a taping of “La faute à l’Europe,” a French-language European affairs TV program (your Playbook author was also on the panel). “This would mean that Ursula von der Leyen would place among the heavyweights of the European Commission a far-right commissioner who, by the way, didn’t support her” in her bid for reelection.
Hayer added: “It’s politically incomprehensible and I have already clarified to Ursula von der Leyen that this cannot stand,” she said. Asked if Renew would oppose Fitto’s nomination during the hearings, Hayer added: “We’ll see — if she [von der Leyen] decides to take this further.”
Drumroll: There may be more where that came from. A senior socialist MEP who was granted anonymity told Max Griera it was “not acceptable” to have such a senior Commission role going to a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). Von der Leyen promised there would “be no cooperation with the far right and now ECR will get an EVP? There’s no room for that.”
Problem set #3: Getting the new Commission juuust right. On Tuesday, the Commission’s Cabinet chiefs discussed “lessons learned” during von der Leyen’s first term with her powerful chief of staff Björn Seibert and the Commission’s Secretary-General Ilze Juhansone.
In theory, this feedback could help Seibert and Juhansone improve the Commission’s working methods for the next five years. But if you take into account the longstanding criticism of von der Leyen’s lack of collegiality with her commissioners and the fact that many Cabinet chiefs are looking for new jobs, the atmosphere becomes so awkward that POLITICO would have loved to be a fly on the wall.
Don’t worry, we got a readout: Several criticisms were raised by the heads of Cabinet, two EU officials briefed on the meeting told Barbara Moens and Camille Gijs. The suggestions included that documents should be sent around to the Cabinets or heads of Cabinet earlier, to give them more time to prepare their weekly decision-making meetings. The need to hold more orientation debates earlier in the policy-making process was also mentioned.
Also: The leaks must stop, the chefs pleaded.
To each their own DG: In terms of divvying up the portfolios, the heads of Cabinet said it was not ideal to have Commission vice presidents without designated directors general, and that there needs to be more policy coherence between the portfolios. They also said the mission letters sent to future commissioners shouldn’t be too rigid, as things change during a mandate.
Playbook tip: Expect von der Leyen to take many of these criticisms on board in the structure of the new Commission. Some habits, though, may be too tough to break — it’s hard to teach a second-term president new tricks.
**What is truth? The ancient question returned with the rise of AI, fake news, and unscrupulous leaders eroding trust and undermining fact and science. The 12th Athens Democracy Forum, October 1-3, will address these issues and advance concrete solutions. Register here.**
SUPER MARIO CALLS FOR FAR-REACHING REFORMS: Former ECB chief Mario Draghi made it clear that “unprecedented cooperation” among EU countries and a “reform of all institutions” will be needed to turn his incoming competitiveness report into concrete actions. He made the comments during a meeting with EU ambassadors Wednesday morning, according to one diplomat. The call has been confirmed by two other people, Giovanna Faggionato reports in today’s Financial Services newsletter.
Passing through: Draghi was in Brussels to meet both diplomats and top lawmakers. This is the last round of meetings before his work is officially presented next week. 
Shaping the next Commission: Draghi summarized the “structural breaks” the EU has to urgently tackle such as a lack of innovation capacity, higher energy prices, skills gaps and the need to boost both the digital and defense industries, according to a person aware of the talks. He also expressed “satisfaction that many” of his ideas “had already found their way in the political guidelines presented by Ursula von der Leyen last July, and confirmed his report “will be reflected in the mission letters” to the next commissioners, the person said.
Speaking to diplomats, Draghi didn’t go into details of his report, but said it touches on productivity, climate, social inclusion and reduction of dependencies — especially on raw materials, he said in response to questioning. The report will make specific recommendations for 10 economic sectors.
Sounding the alarm bell: “There was a very clear message of urgency,” Greens Co-Chair Bas Eickhout told reporters after the meeting. Draghi is criticizing “the complacency that we have seen at the European level,” he added. But according to Eickhout and EPP chief Manfred Weber, Draghi did not position himself on one of the most controversial topics in town: how to finance all this urgent work.
Come back soon: Weber invited Draghi to the Parliament’s next plenary session and called for a real industry policy: “Industry is escaping from Europe,” he said.
EPP URGES LEFT TO OUST GREEK MEP: The European People’s Party parliamentary group has called for Greek Syriza MEP Nikos Pappas to be kicked out of his Left group due to “vulgar, racist, sexist, abusive” behavior, Nektaria Stamouli writes in to report.
EPP full-court press: In a letter sent to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the EPP group calls on the Parliament to look into the matter, expressing its “deepest concern” about Pappas’ conduct, and urging the Left to “take all necessary measures … including his dismissal from the group.” The letter is signed by the EPP group’s chief Manfred Weber, Greek delegation head Eliza Vozemberg and Chief Whip Jeroen Lenaers.
Receipts: The push follows leaks of private Instagram conversations and recordings in which Pappas appeared to make offensive remarks about a police officer. Pappas claimed the officer had insulted him and his family.
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE: The U.S. government on Wednesday indicted two Russian citizens and seized more than 30 domains related to a campaign to influence the American election. But the Kremlin operation also targeted Europe, according to confidential Russian documents obtained by the FBI and filed in court, which my colleague Jakob Hanke Vela has reviewed.
Psychological warfare: The 277-page dossier shows how the Kremlin wants to influence German, French, Italian and U.K. actors in the media, politics and business, Jakob reports this morning. “The Germans are more dependent than the French,” reads one of the Russian documents (presumably referring to Germany’s dependence on Russian gas). The Russian psy-op group therefore decided to focus its efforts on the Germans.
The plan: The group agreed that “first and foremost, we need to discredit the USA, Great Britain and NATO, and secondly,” convince Germans to oppose the “inefficient politics of sanctions.”
PUTIN’S PEOPLE: Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has two sons with former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva who live in a heavily guarded residence and barely interact with the Russian president’s other children, according to Russian investigative site Dossier Center. 
ZELENSKYY BACKLASH: Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in hot water over the biggest reshuffle in Ukraine’s government roles since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Veronika Melkozerova reports. As Moscow’s forces advance in Ukraine’s east and Kyiv lobbies Western allies to use their missiles on Russian territory, top opposition figures accused Zelenskyy of increasingly staffing government posts with a coterie of close allies and loyalists in a bid to consolidate power around his office. Read the full story here.
ICYMI: The prospect of Kamala Harris winning the U.S. election has removed some of the urgency from efforts by Europe and Washington to give Ukraine a $50 billion loan, Gregorio Sorgi and Barbara Moens report.
KAMALA-MENTUM: Harris is polling ahead of her Republican rival Donald Trump in four of six key swing states — Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin — and the two are tied in Pennsylvania.
Debate update: Harris agreed to ABC News’ rules for next week’s debate with Donald Trump, relenting on her campaign’s demand that both candidates’ microphones be unmuted for all 90 minutes they are on stage, my Stateside colleague Eli Stokols reports.
MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The White House is racing to put forward a new proposal for a Gaza cease-fire and Hamas hostage release in the coming days, Reuters reports. According to the news wire, the key sticking points are Israel’s insistence on keeping troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, a buffer zone on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, and the specific people involved in a potential exchange with Hamas of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
PODCAST: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Anne McElvoy’s Power Play podcast that Britain’s suspension of some arms exports is a “mistake” which may prove a wasted opportunity for Keir Starmer’s ability to influence events in the Middle East.
— Parliament President Roberta Metsola participates in the G7 speakers’ meeting in Verona, Italy. Italian President Sergio Mattarella will also attend. Opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Watch.
— European Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič meets with Sven Giegold, state secretary at the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action; receives Marie Bjerre, Denmark’s Europe minister.
— Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski is in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Meets with Uzbekistan’s Agriculture Minister Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov and Deputy Minister Alisher Shukurov, and Tajikistan’s Agriculture Minister Hakimzoda Qurbon.
— NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visits Norway. Participates in an event organized by the Norwegian Atlantic Committee.
**What are the main advantages and risks with in-market consolidation for the telecoms industry? Join our speakers at POLITICO Live’s event “Europe’s Digital Future: Navigating the Path of Connectivity and Innovation” on September 25 to learn more. Apply now to attend in person! **
WEATHER: High of 25C, cloudy intervals with no rain, allegedly.
SPOTTED … Among more than 300 guests at POLITICO’s back-to-school event at Les Jeux d’Hiver last night were: European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness; Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer; comms adviser to the Commission president Jens-Alexander Flosdorff; acting Commission spokesperson Jördis Ferroli; Director General for DG EAC Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen; Europe adviser to the Belgian PM Skander Nasra; European Parliament deputy spokesperson Delphine Colard; incoming NATO Deputy Secretary-General Boris Ruge; Party of European Socialists Secretary-General Giacomo Filibeck; PES Deputy Secretary-General Saar van Bueren; David Oppenheimer, sherpa to incoming European Council President António Costa … 
Along with … a cast of ambassadors including Mark Gitenstein (U.S.), David Quarrey (U.K.), Vsevolod Chentsov (Ukraine), Vincenzo Celeste (Italy), Marcos Alonso (Spain), Jori Arvonen (Finland), Marlene Bonnici (Malta), Ailish Campbell (Canada), Oriol Escalas Nolla (Spain), Lauri Hirvonen (Finland), Edita Hrdá (Czechia), Caroline Millar (Australia), Alexander Renggli (Switzerland), Ioannis Vrailas (Greece), Simon Draper (New Zealand), and Caroline Read (U.K.) …
And breathe … MEPs Valérie Hayer, Javi López, David McAllister, Marc Angel, Sven Simon, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Daniel Attard, Petras Auštrevičius, Brando Benifei, Evin Incir, Fabienne Keller, Morten Løkkegaard, Reinhold Lopatka, Lukas Sieper, Riho Terras, Brigitte van den Berg, Yvan Verougstareate, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Juan Ignacio Zoido, Elio di Rupo and Michał Szczerba …
Wait, there are more! … Brett Hale, chief corporate affairs officer at Suntory Global Spirits (the event’s main partner); Susan Danger, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU; ETNO’s Lise Fuhr; Victoria Main from SEC Newgate; Huawei Public Affairs Director Michele Pastore; Terna’s Roberto Panico; Acumen partner Max von Olenhusen; FGS Global’s Sebastian Vos; Breakthrough Energy Vice President Ann Mettler; BlackRock Vice President Aneta Szczyglowska; and Cédric de Meeûs of Holcim …
And not to forget … POLITICO CEO Goli Sheikholeslami; Chief Operating Officer Mark Dekan; POLITICO Europe Editor-in-Chief Jamil Anderlini; colleagues including Alessandro Ford, Joanna Roberts, Laura Greenhalgh, Gordon Repinski, Barbara Moens, Jacopo Barigazzi, Claudia Chiappa, Stuart Lau, Khushbu Shah, Paul Dallison and Tommaso Lecca; and Playbook’s own Eddy Wax, Sarah Wheaton and Šejla Ahmatović.
BAILEMOS TODA LA NOCHE: The “Fiesta Latina” returns to Bois de la Cambre on Friday, featuring dance shows, live music and Latin American food trucks. Starts at 5 p.m. Tickets here.
BIRTHDAYS: MEP Isabel Benjumea; former European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn; POLITICO’s Sergio Bernabé. 
THANKS TO: Giovanna Faggionato, Jakob Hanke Vela, Eddy Wax, Sarah Wheaton, Bethany Dawson, Max Griera, Barbara Moens, Camille Gijs, Playbook editor Alex Spence, Playbook reporter Šejla Ahmatović and producer Catherine Bouris.
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