ADVERTISEMENTThe 28 EU officials who will oversee the shaping of laws that affect 500 million Europeans have won the backing of MEPs.
As the new European Commission was approved, the EU executive’s incoming president said tackling youth employment remains a top priority.
“I can see a whole generation growing up, which is a generation left behind, lost seeing the level of unemployment that affects young Europeans,” Jean-Claude Juncker told euronews.
“I think if we put in place a good investment programme, which in the medium term can boost growth potential, the forces of growth in Europe, young people will benefit.”
Last year, the centre-left group in the parliament backed tougher fiscal discipline in the eurozone.
Now their leader says he welcome the idea of using public money to boost growth.
“Juncker has convinced us on the basis of programmed commitments, the commitment to the plan for growth and employment: 300 billion euros; the commitment on the workers directive; the commitment for women who go on maternity leave,” said Italy’s Gianni Pittella of the Socialst and Democrats faction.
However, the Greens remained resolute in their opposition to Juncker’s new commission, singling out Hungary’s Tibor Navracsics.
“‘We think there are some people in there who really shouldn’t be commissioners for the EU. We have people with a clear conflict of interest. We have people who have a very wrong idea which way Europe should go. We have people like the Hungarian commissioner who has been co-writing the Hungarian media law and who is now responsible for culture,” said German Green MEP Ska Keller.
Juncker’s team replaced the one led by former Portuguese prime minister José Manuel Barroso.They start work on November 1st.