The S&D Group will not support a new European Commission with fewer women than in Barroso’s previous team warned today the leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella. 
 
The EU heads of state and government will meet on Saturday in Brussels to discuss the composition of the new European Commission and decide in particular who will replace Cathy Ashton as the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and Herman van Rompuy as head of the European Council.
 
Ahead of the European summit, Gianni Pittella said:
 
“Since his election in the European Parliament in July, the future president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has been working hard to shape his team.
 
“At the moment however only four women seem to have been designated as European commissioners – out of 27. This does not add up. It is half as many as in Barroso’s Commission and simply unacceptable.
 
“The Socialists and Democrats will not support a college of European commissioners with fewer women than today.
 
"We are also worried that the progressive change we campaigned for – and supported by Jean-Claude Juncker in his statement in the European Parliament – is not reflected in the current composition of the college.
 
“We call on Jean-Claude Juncker to stick to his commitment to ensure the next European Commission will be politically balanced and ensure he has the right men and women for the job.
 
"We urge in particular the member states which have never appointed a woman as a Commissioner to contribute to the gender balance of the next Commission.
 
“To achieve more growth, jobs, hope and social justice we need new, dynamic, credible faces in Europe."