Wopke Hoekstra hearing: Live updates as incoming EU climate chief ... - POLITICO Europe
Wopke Hoekstra hearing: Live updates as incoming EU climate chief faces grilling in European Parliament - POLITICO
Wopke Hoekstra, the former Dutch foreign minister nominated to be the EU’s commissioner for climate action, faces tough questioning at a hearing on Monday in the European Parliament, where left-leaning MEPs have raised major reservations on his candidacy.
Hoekstra, who has little experience in green policymaking, was put forward by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take over the climate portfolio after Frans Timmermans stepped down from the EU executive to run in the Dutch election set for November.
While EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told POLITICO that Hoekstra is “definitely” suited for the job, Mohammed Chahim, vice president of the center-left Socialists & Democrats in the Parliament, said: “We’re not very keen on him.”
Timmermans, an S&D member, resigned as executive vice president responsible for the European Green Deal in August. Von der Leyen decided to split off the climate-action portion of the portfolio and nominated Hoekstra as climate commissioner, a position “under the guidance” of Maroš Šefčovič, another S&D politician who was tapped to succeed Timmermans as executive vice president for the Green Deal as a whole.
Socialist lawmakers worry that the appointment of the center-right Hoekstra, who belongs to the European People’s Party, will tip the political balance in the Commission.
In another hearing on Tuesday, MEPs will grill Šefčovič about his expanded portfolio as Green Deal chief.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate diplomacy
Talks are well underway in preparation for the next major international meeting on climate change, 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), scheduled to begin Nov. 30 in the United Arab Emirates.
Much like last year’s COP27, finances — specifically, aid to developing nations — will be at the center of conference deliberations.
The conference faces an even greater sense of urgency brought on by the Sept. 8, 2023, release of the first global stocktake, which calls for accelerated action to meet the goals set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement (COP21).
Climate diplomacy: COP 27 | Climate diplomacy: COP 28 | Climate diplomacy: COP 29