Decisions, decisions…

All seven of the commissioners who stood for election to the Parliament won enough votes to be elected, but not all will take up their seats.

Karel De Gucht (liberal, Belgium, trade) definitely will not. Neven Mimica (centre-left, Croatia, consumer policy) wants to stay in the Commission. Maroš Šefčovič (centre-left, Slovakia, inter-institutional relations and administration) is lined up for a second term as commissioner.

That leaves three other commissioners who have to decide whether to forsake the Berlaymont for the joys of keeping company with Antonio Tajani. Viviane Reding (centre-right, Luxembourg, justice, fundamental rights and citizenship) has not yet declared her hand – the commissioners have until the Parliament meets in the first week of July to decide. Olli Rehn (liberal, Finland, economic and monetary affairs and the euro), intends to take up his seat, but will not say so publicly for the moment. Partly because next week he has to introduce the Commission’s country-specific prescriptions for the European Semester – and their credibility might be undermined if he announced that he was jumping ship. Partly because his political ambitions must play second-fiddle to those of Guy Verhofstadt, the ALDE group leader.

Janusz Lewandowski (centre-right, Poland, budget) is widely expected to return to the Parliament, whence he came. His work on the 2014-19 long-term budget is largely done and he is unlikely to be re-nominated as a commissioner.