More than 50 rights organisations from across Europe have expressed their “shock and dismay” at Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to do away with the standalone EU position of equality commissioner, describing it as a “downgrading” of the fight against discrimination.
Von der Leyen presented her lineup for the new commission in Brussels earlier this month. Her 27 commissioner designates – senior EU officials who hold positions akin to government ministers – included Hadja Lahbib, currently Belgium’s foreign minister, who was tasked with a portfolio that spans preparedness and crisis management as well as equality.
The announcement, which marked a stark change in tone from 2019 when von der Leyen announced the EU’s first ever commissioner for equality, was swiftly criticised. “This is unacceptable,” the European Women’s Lobby said on social media. “Equality deserves its own commissioner, not just a footnote in an overloaded portfolio.”
The European Disability Forum said the decision set a “dangerous precedent” by rolling back previous achievements. “We are outraged by this downgrade,” said Yannis Vardakastanis, of the forum. “It is a slap in the face for millions of people and risks all the progress that the commission has made so far regarding our rights.”
In the previous commission, also led by von der Leyen, the decision to launch a commission focused solely on equality was cited as proof that creating a more equal EU was a major priority for her. The commission was tasked with charting out strategies that ranged from gender inclusion to anti-racism plans and LGBTIQ equality.
The appointments for von der Leyen’s new team, which veers to the right after far-right parties surged in the recent EU elections, still need to be approved by the European parliament.
Katrin Langensiepen, a German Green who describes herself as the only female MEP with a visible disability in the parliament, called von der Leyen’s decision to sideline equality “alarming” at a time when rights were being steadily eroded.
“With this decision, von der Leyen has made it clear that equality is not a priority for her,” Langensiepen said. “Especially in times when we are experiencing a gender backlash, marginalised groups are being attacked and diversity is not a matter of course, equality should have been at the top of the commission’s list.”
The view was backed this week by 57 civil society organisations who signed an open letter expressing their fear that the combined portfolio would lead to equality issues being eclipsed by crisis management.
“This new configuration risks undermining the consistent and diligent implementation of the equality agenda, as crises like pandemics, wars and economic or environmental disasters will likely dominate the commissioner’s time and focus,” the letter says.
It points to von der Leyen’s delay in announcing her commissioners as she scrambled to put together a gender-balanced team. At the end of a long, drawn-out process of negotiation, four of the six powerful vice-president nominees are women, while the overall team of EU commissioners is 40% female.
“We were hopeful that this signalled a commitment to strengthen the equality portfolio,” the letter says. “Instead, we are disappointed that this delay appears to have been more of a performative gesture regarding an expected ‘gender quota’ than a genuine commitment to substance.”
Signed by groups whose work ranges from combating poverty and homelessness to protecting LGBTQ+ rights, the letter calls for clarification on how the wide-ranging portfolio would work and whether it would be equipped with the resources and capacity needed to protect and advance equality.
Several of the signatories are Roma rights groups, whose efforts to deal with challenges such as accessing decent housing and segregation have been imperilled by the lack of any MEPs who identify as Roma in the new parliament.
Sabine Saliba, of Eurochild, said the mixed portfolio could also jeopardise efforts to protect the rights of children, including those with disabilities, Roma children and children with a migrant background. “Considering global conflicts, the increasing effects of climate change and the importance of non-discrimination policies, we believe these issues warrant more focused attention,” she said.
Age Platform Europe, a network of organisations protecting the rights of older people, said it was particularly concerned that the mandate letter for the portfolio made no mention of the fight against age discrimination.
This omission was a “clear downgrade” from the mandate of the past commissioner, said Maciej Kucharczyk, of the platform. “At a time when inequalities are increasing in our societies across all population and age groups, the EU must step up – not scale down – its efforts.”