BRUSSELS ― Portugal nominated former finance minister Maria Luís Albuquerque as its next European commissioner.
“She has extraordinary qualities and skills that will certainly enrich the European Commission and give prestige to Portugal,” the country’s center-right prime minister Luís Montenegro said in comments reported by national media. He did not specify which Commission portfolio Portugal is aiming for.
With decades of experience in economic policy-making, Albuquerque is seen as a good candidate to secure an economic job in the new Commission, which is due to take over later this year.
During her spell as finance minister at the height of the eurozone crisis, she handled the country’s banking turmoil and steered through reforms that were encouraged by the country’s creditors.
Albuquerque is one of only six women to have been put forward as commissioners, challenging President von der Leyen’s push for a gender-balanced team.
Two diplomats told POLITICO that von der Leyen might reward female candidates by handing them a more powerful portfolio.
Albuquerque is expected to face competition from incumbent and former finance ministers ― including Magnus Brunner from Austria, Ireland’s candidate Michael McGrath and the Netherlands’ Wopke Hoekstra ― to secure a job in economic policy-making.
An economist by training with years of experience in her country’s treasury, Albuquerque lost out to her party colleague Carlos Moedas for the nomination as Portuguese commissioner in 2014.
National governments have to nominate their picks before Aug. 30, after which von der Leyen will assign beats to the candidates.