Poland's Serafin to become EU budget commissioner

2024-09-17 14:01 update: 2024-09-17, 14:05
Photo: PAP/Wiktor Dąbkowski
Photo: PAP/Wiktor Dąbkowski
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has put forward Polish lawyer Piotr Serafin as the next EU budget commissioner.

Von der Leyen made the announcement on Tuesday as she presented the proposed new line-up of the European Commission, the EU's executive body, following the European elections held in June.

She said that Serafin, as the new European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, would report directly to her, a move meant to raise his standing among the other commissioners.

According to her, Serafin will focus on preparing the EU's next long-term budget.

On the X platform on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed satisfaction with Serafin's nomination.

"A strong portfolio for Polish Commissioner Piotr Serafin: budget, public administration and fighting fraud," Tusk wrote. "Or, to put it simply: Money, personnel and what we like most."

The proposed new European commissioners will now have to be approved by the European Parliament.

Serafin was a deputy foreign minister in the Donald Tusk government in 2010-2014 and the chief aide to Tusk when the latter was president of the European Council in 2014-2019. (PAP)

jd/jch