European Commission President to put forward Dutch minister as EU commissioner for climate

MOSCOW: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that she would propose to the Council of Europe and the European Parliament to appoint Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra as the next European Commissioner for climate action, reported Sputnik.

“I have interviewed the candidate put forward by the Dutch government for the post of European Commissioner from The Netherlands, Mr Wopke Hoekstra. Mr Hoekstra showed strong motivation for the post and great commitment to the European Union. He also has relevant professional experience for this post. Following this interview, I have decided to propose to the Council and the European Parliament the appointment of Mr Hoekstra to the post of Commissioner,“ von der Leyen said on the website, adding that Hoekstra “will be in charge of climate action, under the guidance of the Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.”

The European Commission president added that Hoekstra “has significant experience on European issues,“ who previously served as the minister of foreign affairs and the minister of finance of the Netherlands.

“His governmental experience will be a strong asset in particular for Europe’s climate diplomacy in the run-up to COP28 and for climate finance, as well as for the implementation of climate-related legislative instruments. Mr Hoekstra stressed during the interview his commitment to continuing an ambitious climate policy and to maintaining a social balance in all necessary joint efforts on the road to climate neutrality,“ she said.

Executive Vice President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans announced his resignation earlier on Tuesday to join the electoral race to become the next Dutch prime minister. Von der Leyen accepted his resignation with immediate effect and thanked Timmermans for his many years of successful work.

The left-wing alliance of the Labour Party of the Netherlands, PvdA, and the GroenLinks green political party have earlier confirmed plans to nominate Timmermans as the bloc’s leader in the parliamentary elections.-Bernama

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