Commissioners pick deputy heads of private offices
The cabinets of the incoming commissioners are taking shape.
Federica Mogherini
Federica Mogherini, the incoming EU foreign policy chief, has appointed Oliver Rentschler as deputy head of her private office, providing some continuity from the office of her predecessor, Catherine Ashton, where Rentschler has been deputy head since March 2012. Before that, he was Germany’s deputy permanent representative to the EU’s political and security committee. He worked in the private office of two German foreign ministers: Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2008-09) and Guido Westerwelle (2009-11). Ashton had already announced the appointment of Stefano Manservisi as head of her office.
Pierre Moscovici
Pierre Moscovici, who is to be the European commissioner for economic and financial affairs, taxation and customs, has appointed Reinhard Felke as deputy head of his private office. Felke is a German with ten years of experience in the Commission’s economic and financial affairs department, including a stint (2005-08) as assistant to Klaus Regling, the then director-general of the department. Felke was subsequently head of a unit preparing reports on the eurozone economy. More recently he has been a senior adviser, reporting to Servaas Deroose, one of the two deputy directors-general. Felke worked in Germany’s economics ministry in 1997-2000 and for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1996-97. Moscovici has already recruited a compatriot, Olivier Bailly, from the Commission’s secretariat-general to head the office.
For a full list of cabinet positions as they are appointed, click here
Margrethe Vestager
Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner-designate for competition, has chosen her deputy from within the Commission’s competition department. Linsey McCallum is director for the technology, communication and media sectors, and has overseen high-profile cases, including the Google antitrust investigation.
She was in the private office of Neil Kinnock, the commissioner for administrative reform (1999-2004) when the head of that office was Philip Lowe, who was later (2002-10) director-general for competition. She was assistant to Lowe and then head of unit for antitrust in the transport and postal sectors.
Jonathan Hill
Jonathan Hill, the commissioner-designate for financial stability, financial services and capital markets union, has appointed Nathalie de Basaldua as deputy chef of his private office. De Basaldua is currently head of unit for financial stability in DG Markt; she has previously headed a unit handling auditing; she was deputy head of the private office of Charlie McCreevy.
Günther Oettinger
Günther Oettinger, Germany’s European commissioner, who will take on the digital economy and society portfolio, is to retain his deputy chef de cabinet: Eric Mamer, who has been working for him since June 2012.
Mamer headed the communications unit for the Commission’s budget, and was spokesperson for Neil Kinnock.
Bernd Biervert
Bernd Biervert is to continue as deputy head of the private office of Maroš Šefcˇovicˇ, who has been nominated vice-president for energy union (see page 7). Biervert is a German lawyer, who back in 2000-03 was working for the Commission on negotiations with Slovakia.
From there he moved into the private office of Ján Figel’, Slovakia’s first European commissioner (education and culture). He transferred to Šefcˇovicˇ’s office in 2010.
Cecilia Malmström
Cecilia Malmström, the incoming European commissioner for trade, has appointed Miguel Ceballos Baron as deputy head of her private office. Ceballos Baron, who is Spanish, is currently working in the private office of Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, as an adviser on EU-Asia relations, trade, energy, environment and climate change. Before that, he was a Commission official working on trade issues and relations with China. He headed the trade section of the EU’s delegation in China in 2006-10.
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Tibor Navracsics
Tibor Navracsics, the incoming European commissioner for education, culture and sport, has appointed Adrienn Király, as deputy head of his private office. Navracsics has already named as head of the office Jonathan Hill, a British official who is currently deputy head of office to Androulla Vassiliou, the departing commissioner for education, culture, sport and youth.
Király, who is Hungarian, is currently working in the private office of Martine Reicherts, the commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, having joined the office of Reicherts’ predecessor, Viviane Reding, in April 2014. Before that, she worked as a policy officer in the Commission’s justice department.
Corina Creţu
Corina Creţu, the commissioner-designate for regional policy, having appointed a department insider – Mikel Landabaso – as her chef, has turned to the Romanian civil service for her deputy chef: Gabriel Onaca is a state secretary for European funds.
Neven Mimica
Neven Mimica, who is the current European commissioner for consumer protection and is about to become European commissioner for development and co-operation, has decided to keep an unchanged team at the top of his private office. As well as retaining Nils Behrndt as head of the office, he is also retaining Irena Andrassy as the deputy.