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Tinder, but for commissioners’ Cabinets

HOWDY. Welcome to Friday’s edition of Brussels Playbook. You made it! Since we started the week with an outburst from ex-Commissioner Thierry Breton, we’ll end it with some mellower advice from current and likely future Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. We asked him, in an interview for the EU Confidential podcast (out today!), how he feels about this whole selection process, with all the speculation and sniping. “You truly need to separate between your personal emotions and what is going on … And if you manage to do that, it is still a job with huge demands, but life is doable.”
Happy weekend. Nick Vinocur is back with you on Monday.
WINTER IS COMING: And so European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine today. They’ll discuss the EU’s plans for keeping Ukrainians warm after Russia’s barrage of power stations and other infrastructure.
Victory plan: Maybe von der Leyen can tease out a sneak peek at Zelenskyy’s vision for how to win the war. He’s planning to share it with U.S. President Joe Biden during a trip to Washington next week (during which he’ll probably also meet with Donald Trump, per the Republican presidential candidate). More from Veronika Melkozerova.
**A message from TikTok: As part of our industry-leading Project Clover, we’ve launched new security gateways around our European data. These gateways, independently checked by cybersecurity firm NCC Group, enforce technical protocols so only approved employees can access certain data types, including no access to restricted data in our European data enclave from employees in China.**
CRUNCH BRANDENBURG ELECTION: Voters in Brandenburg, the eastern state surrounding Berlin, head to the polls on Sunday for a regional election that’s key to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ and his governing coalition’s fate. If the chancellor’s SPD party loses to the far-right AfD, Scholz could well be done, writes my Berlin-based colleague Gordon Repinski in a must-read curtain-raiser.
What could happen after that? It could mean a snap German election — or maneuvering the more popular Defense Minister Boris Pistorius into the prime electoral slot for a national vote in 2025. Read Gordon’s story here.
Economic reverberations: Morning Consult, an American business intelligence company, dropped Germany’s grade from B to B- in its latest round of political stability ratings. While Scholz’s approval rating didn’t change over the past few months in the firm’s polling, Morning Consult’s Sonnet Frisbie told Playbook reporter Šejla Ahmatović “there was a downshift in whether Germany is moving in the right track — so a little bit more overall pessimism about the direction of the country.”
CABINET MATCH-MAKING SEASON BEGINS: The commissioners-designate have yet to survive their Parliament hearings, so they’re hunkering down in the Charlemagne building to prepare — and showing their optimism by hiring staff. But they can’t just employ whomever they want. It’s the EU; there are rules.
Casual dating: Who needs a Tinder profile when you have hard copies of your CV to dole out over coffee dates in the EU Quarter as you hunt for a Cabinet job? One small problem — no one’s ready to commit: The future commissioners don’t yet know exactly what the new rules will be.
It’s complicated: The European Commission has strict regulations on the composition of commissioners’ Cabinets. There must be diversity in nationality, gender and seniority. For example, a Lithuanian commissioner cannot have a Lithuanian head of Cabinet and a Lithuanian deputy. In the current mandate, each Cabinet had to have at least five different nationalities.
Set to be even more complicated: In her second term, von der Leyen will make these rules even stricter, six officials briefed on the rules told my colleagues Barbara Moens, Eddy Wax and Jacopo Barigazzi. Think an even wider mix of nationalities and more gender diversity — especially after von der Leyen failed to achieve parity at the top.
Why do these rules exist? In theory, the requirement for a mix of nationalities in each Cabinet is to ensure commissioners work for the whole of the European Union, and not just their own home countries. In practice, the rules allow each capital to position its people in influential Cabinets that are led by a commissioner of a different nationality. 
Let the swapping begin: To ensure this all plays out, countries engage in so-called swaps. We are not making this up: You get to position someone from your nationality in my Cabinet if I get to plant my person in your office. It’s a complicated game, as it involves the heads of Cabinets, the ambassadors and the capitals, who don’t always see eye to eye and are often engaged in different swaps at the same time. 
Sounds like a swingers’ party? With so many people and nationalities involved, “you may as well leave your ID card behind at the entrance of the Berlaymont,” one EU diplomat quipped.
First loves: Scroll down for a list of transition chiefs and Cabinet favorites.
WHERE TO SEND YOUR CVs: Here’s who will be assisting the Commission nominees prepare for their hearings — and if you’re angling for a major role in a Cabinet, they’re the folks to send your CVs to.
Bertrand L’Huillier, Stéphane Séjourné’s deputy Cabinet chief in the French foreign ministry, will now lead the commissioner-designate’s transition team.
Grzegorz Radziejewski is set to be head of Cabinet for the would-be Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin. Radziejewski was the head of Cabinet for a former Polish budget commissioner and is into endurance sports — which may serve him well in budget negotiations.
Simonas Šatūnas is set to be head of Cabinet for Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
David Ciliberti is the head of the transition team for Malta’s commissioner-designate Glenn Micallef.
Claudio Casini is one of the frontrunners to become head of Cabinet for Italy’s Raffaele Fitto.
Ioannis Hadjiyiannis from the European Commission is the top official in the team of Cypriot commissioner-designate Costas Kadis.
Marko Makovec from the EEAS is leading the team of Slovenian commissioner-designate Marta Kos.
HUNGARIAN PRESIDENCY MOVES FORWARD: When it comes to Budapest, we’ve gotten to the point where it counts as news when things go normally. That happened on Thursday evening when the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU moved forward with the necessary paperwork and procedures to advance the Commission nomination process.
So great is the fear of Hungary stonewalling that EPP MEPs plan to vote through all the nominees after their confirmation hearings, one of them told Mari Eccles — including Olivér Várhelyi. The concern is that voting down the Hungarian commissioner, nominated to handle health and animal welfare and who called MEPs “idiots,” could allow Budapest to hold everything up by refusing to name a replacement. 
One last note on Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will debate his presidency priorities with the European Parliament plenary on Oct. 9, according to an agenda seen by Max Griera. He postponed this week’s planned appearance in Strasbourg to deal with extreme flooding at home.
IT’S GETTING UGLY: The step forward comes after Slovenia was able to officially nominate Marta Kos, von der Leyen’s pick to oversee enlargement. Yet as soon as that was dealt with, the same group of allies of ex-Prime Minister Janez Janša who held up Kos’ candidacy in Ljubljana are once again drawing the ire of the Brussels establishment. This time, it’s ex-Interior Minister Aleš Hojs’ homophobic tweet about French Commissioner-designate Stéphane Séjourné.
Calling Janša out: Saying Hojs’ post “follows other baseless political manoeuvres,” top Renew MEP Valérie Hayer accused Janša & Co. of “trying to destabilize Europe and weaken our democratic foundations.” (Janša’s party is linked to the EPP, though it opposed von der Leyen’s bid for a second term.)
SCHMIT IN SNIT OVER JOB(LESS) TITLE: Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit largely pulled his punches when he ran against von der Leyen as the Socialist’s lead candidate in the June EU election. But now that won’t be returning to the Commission at all, he’s letting it rip. On X, he vented about the fact that his “jobs” title will be retiring with him. (The equivalent role is now the EVP for people, skills and preparedness.)
“I have pushed skills but social and labour rights cannot be limited to skills and preparedness what ever this word means,” he tweeted.
IN YOUR EARS: Hosted by your Playbook author, this week’s EU Confidential podcast analyzes the new Commission pyramid, with colleagues Eddy Wax and Marion Solletty. Plus, we sit down with Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, get to know future foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and — on a completely different topic — consider why left-leaning leaders are studying at the feet of the far right on migration, with Hans von der Burchard in Berlin and Rosa Prince in London. Listen and subscribe here.
WEEKEND READING: You may have missed some of our stellar profiles of the commissioners-designate. Catch up on them here: Hungary’s Olivér Várhelyi, the “incredibly rude” choice for health commissioner … Slovakia’s Maroš Šefčovič, the Mr. Fix It who’s got his toughest mission yet … Austria’s Magnus Brunner, who’s so good at tennis he once beat a future U.S. Open champion … Slovenia’s Marta Kos, Europe’s new enlargement czar … Spain’s Teresa Ribera, the second-most-powerful person in Brussels … Luxembourg’s Christophe Hansen, the center-right’s golden boy … Lithuania’s Andrius Kubilius, the EU’s first defense commissioner … Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis, the veteran who will reassure Germany … and Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who cements Greece’s hold over the EU’s transport file.
Friday funny: Paul Dallison takes you behind the scenes of the new European Commission in his Declassified humor column.
COMMISSION FLOODED WITH MEP DEFORESTATION REQUESTS: The EPP group — Ursula von der Leyen’s own political family — has renewed its crusade against the EU deforestation rules. “We urge you to postpone the application of the Regulation by at least twelve months to allow for necessary guidance and compliance system to be developed,” EPP chief Manfred Weber wrote in a letter to von der Leyen, seen by Max Griera. 
Quick background: The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which comes into force in December, will require companies to prove their wood, coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, rubber and cattle have not been produced on deforested land. The EPP’s argument is that businesses will be clobbered by administrative burdens unless there’s more time to implement the new rules.
Then came the flood: The Socialists & Democrats and Renew also sent letters, obtained by POLITICO, to von der Leyen on Thursday — urging the Commission to stick to the December deadline.
BIG PICTURE — POLITICS PERSISTS AFTER PASSAGE: After a first term heavy on environmental legislation, von der Leyen’s second mandate was expected to be more focused on implementing what had already been passed, rather than writing new laws. But this push for a delay is a clear sign that the EPP doesn’t consider these discussions closed, especially after the election. And if this is how things are starting for deforestation, just imagine how the internal combustion engine ban is going to go …
CHINA TO GET SECOND CHANCE ON TARIFF TALKS: The EU and China did not reach a breakthrough in high-level talks on duties for made-in-China electric vehicles, the bloc’s trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said on Thursday after Chinese Minister for Commerce Wang Wentao had left — but Beijing will get another chance. More here for Pro Trade subscribers from Koen Verhelst and Camille Gijs.
**Psst… Did you know our fifth edition of POLITICO Competitive Europe Week is also happening online on October 1-3? From Industrial Policy to Tech & AI sessions, we’ve got you covered with this year’s unmissable 3-day event! Register to watch online!**
STOLTENBERG WARNS EU AGAINST COMPETING WITH NATO: After a decade at NATO’s helm, Jens Stoltenberg has stopped playing nice with the EU (not that he’s tried too hard). Speaking at a farewell event on Thursday, the outgoing Stoltenberg said that while it was good for the EU to focus on eliminating defense industry barriers within member countries, it should stay out of NATO’s core business: setting capability targets, running intervention forces or setting military standards, Stuart Lau reports.
Saying the quiet part out loud: His remarks, at the German Marshall Fund, are an expression of years-long skepticism among NATO officials on what the EU plans to do on defense. They come shortly after the European Commission named its first ever commissioner responsible for the issue.
Pay in, don’t duplicate: While Stoltenberg praised ambitions to defragment the EU’s defense industry, wishing the bloc “the best of luck,” he then proceeded to question EU countries’ focus on building an alternative force, rather than contributing to NATO’s command structure. He also praised the U.S. for criticizing Europe for not spending 2 percent of its GDP on defense. “The good news is that we have delivered on the pledge we made 10 years ago,” he said.
The bad news? “This is [no] longer enough,” he added, though he stopped short of saying there should be a new target.
FIGHTING WORDS: A long-simmering standoff between Kosovo and Serbia is poised to return to the boil as the leaders of the two countries ratcheted up the rhetoric this week. After Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused him of “irrationality,” “desperation” and of pursuing an “aggressive campaign for new conflicts,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić shot back in an interview with POLITICO’s Matt Karnitschnig and Una Hajdari, saying: “If irrationality and aggression is to have democratic elections … OK, many thanks to him.”
ALBANIAN PM SHRUGS OFF MIGRANT CENTERS: Don’t like Italy’s plans to house migrants intercepted at sea in camps in Albania? That’s not Albania’s problem, reckons Prime Minister Edi Rama. “It’s not our problem, this is the EU’s problem, they have to manage it,” he told Playbook’s Šejla Ahmatović during an appearance in Brussels. Denying that Albania has a role in the project, he added: “I’ve offered [Italy] the possibility to do it on our soil, but they’ll manage it.”
Italian privilege: And if you do like Italy’s plans … that’s also not Albania’s problem. There’s no room for more migrants, Rama told Euronews: “This is an exclusive agreement with Italy because we love everyone, but with Italy we have unconditional love.”
NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT DEAL: Prime Minister Michel Barnier has reached a deal with centrist and conservative lawmakers to form a new French government, his office said in a statement Thursday. Our Playbook Paris colleagues reckon we’re likely to get the details of the new team today or Saturday. Full details here.
VENEZUELA UPDATE: The European Parliament on Thursday recognized Venezuela’s exiled presidential candidate Edmundo González as the country’s legitimate and democratically elected president.
TRUMP DITCHES DUDA: Donald Trump’s joint appearance with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Pennsylvania is off, Reuters reports, though it doesn’t reveal why.
MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Israeli fighter jets launched a wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday, prompting calls from allies in Washington and London for urgent diplomatic action to avoid an all-out conflict with Hezbollah. The intense bombardment followed the device explosions that killed at least 37 and injured about 3,000 others earlier this week, which Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged had caused a “severe and cruel blow” to the militant group. Nasrallah said Israel had “crossed all red lines” and Hezbollah would inflict a “just punishment.”
How did Israel do it? Antoaneta Roussi answers five key questions about the pager blasts.
The repercussions: The attacks on militants’ wireless devices are amping up concern about ways in which the global electronics supply chain can be compromised — and the risks for companies operating in adversarial countries, my Stateside colleagues Ari Hawkins and Joseph Gedeon report.
— Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ukraine.
— Informal meeting of transport ministers in Budapest… Arrivals from 7:15 a.m. … roundtable at 8:30 a.m. Agenda. Watch.
— Telephone call between Council President Charles Michel and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán.
—  EU High Commissioner Josep Borrell is in the Canary Islands; participates in Cotec Europe Symposium at 11:30 a.m. Watch.
— Coreper II visit to Budapest.
— Coreper I meets.
— Education Commissioner Iliana Ivanova in Naples, Italy; participates in the G7 ministerial meeting on culture.
— European Economic and Social Committee President Oliver Röpke in New York, U.S.; participates in the Summit of the Future Action Days; speaks on panel “Advancing a ‘United Nations 2.0’ and Transforming Global Governance.”
**POLITICO Live Sustainable Future Week is back! Happening on December 3-5, get ready for an action-packed week. Featuring POLITICO newsletters and podcasts, participate in onsite-only interactive Q&A sessions for deeper insights. With more time to explore critical topics and network, this event is designed to keep you ahead in a rapidly changing landscape. Apply today and join us onsite!**
WEATHER: High of 23C, more sun.
CAR-FREE SUNDAY: It’s time to get on your bikes, roller blades or, you know, just walk: Brussels is going car-free on Sunday, marking the end of Mobility Week. Cars are banned — with exceptions — from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and public transport is free. More info here.
NEWS FROM POLITICO TOWER: Cristina Gonzalez has been promoted to the newly created role of executive producer for live journalism as POLITICO Europe and our American twin combine forces to create a “single, cohesive events division,” as POLITICO CEO Goli Sheikholeslami put it in a letter to staff on both sides of the Atlantic. “Cristina has been a driving force behind our audio offerings and instrumental in our presence at global convenings, from Davos to UNGA to the Munich Security Conference,” Goli wrote. (Playbook personal aside: ZOMG massive congrats, lady!)
That other thing: Apparently there were some developments at our parent company. 
CONGRATS, JOURNO: María Tadeo, formerly of Bloomberg, will start as European correspondent for Le Grand Continent next week.
GENTRIFICATION, AS MEASURED IN ZINNEBIR: Playbook has been looking for the right moment to recommend Brussels Notes, a free SubStack newsletter from Parliament staffer Eoghan Walsh, for its casually artful, warmly observed, English-language prose on non-work life in this quirky and surprising town at the street level. This week’s edition offers a portrait of a changing Koekelberg through the prism of hipster beer on tap. 
BIRTHDAYS: MEPs Chiara Gemma, Tomislav Sokol and Siegfried Mureșan; Former MEP Mazaly Aguilar; U.N.’s Katarzyna Rokosz Bitka; Avertim’s Marion De Mattei; APCO’s Cecilio Madero.
CELEBRATING SATURDAY: MEPs Carlo Fidanza; former MEP Vicky Ford and Jan Olbrycht; Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs; Energy Infrastructure Partners’ Zeke Turner; Capital Brief’s Laurel Henning; Akamai Technologies’ Christian Borggreen; Deutsche Bank’s Patricia Summers Edwards; Stephan Schraff from Bayer; USAID’s Samantha Power; POLITICO’s Tommaso Lecca; former Australian PM and current ambassador of Australia to the U.S. Kevin Rudd; EISMEA’s Robert Schröder; Malta’s Independence Day.
CELEBRATING SUNDAY:  Former MEPs Estrella Durá Ferrandis, Michael Heaver and Csanád Szegedi; French politician Ségolène Royal; Intel’s Sophie Jacobs; International Committee of the Red Cross’ Chadi Sidhom; Boeing’s Agnès Leroux; Moa Technology’s Alexandra Ranson; Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union Anton Nilsson; Barend Leyts, director of communications for Belgian PM Alexander De Croo; Blandine Ronsse from FleishmanHillard.
THANKS TO: Eddy Wax, Max Griera, Barbara Moens, Stuart Lau, Elisa Braun, Jacopo Barigazzi, Camille Gijs, Koen Verhelst, Marianne Gros, Doug Busvine and Helen Collis; Playbook editor Alex Spence, reporter Šejla Ahmatović and producer Catherine Bouris.
**A message from TikTok: TikTok already had strict security protocols in place that ensured employees could only access data they need to do their jobs, under strict conditions and for a limited time. With Project Clover, TikTok has launched additional protections around our European user data that incorporate security gateways, designed to enforce technical protocols so only approved employees can access certain data types. Since last summer, security mechanisms have been in place designed to ensure that restricted data – such as email and IP addresses – stored in our European data enclave cannot be accessed by employees based in China. Cybersecurity experts NCC Group have been substantially involved in the development of these security gateways, including reviewing data set rules and inspecting the code for the gateways – they will also inspect any code updates over time, as well as monitoring data flows across these gateways. **
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