A Vice-President of the European Commission is a member of the European Commission who leads the commission's work in particular focus areas in which multiple European Commissioners participate.
Currently, the European Commission has a total of seven Vice-Presidents: three Executive-Vice Presidents, three regular Vice-Presidents, and the High Representative who is ex officio also one of the Vice-Presidents.[1]
The role of Vice-President of the European Commission may be bestowed on any European Commissioner in addition to their existing portfolio. Vice-Presidents are appointed by the President of the European Commission and confirmed by the European Parliament.
Since the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is automatically and permanently one of the Vice-Presidents by virtue of their position as High Representative (commonly referred to as the 'HR/VP' role). This means they are not appointed as Vice-President as such, and the appointment procedure to the position of High Representative is different from that of the Commissioners.
Commission salaries are set as a percentage of the top civil service grade. Vice-Presidents are paid at 125% (€22,122.10 monthly), in comparison to 112.5% (€19,909.89) for normal Commissioners and 138% (€24,422.80) for the President.[2] [3] However, the vice-president who also serves as the High Representative is paid at 130% (€23,006.98).[4] There are further allowances on top of these figures.[2]
The von der Leyen Commission established a new position of Executive Vice-President. There are three Executive Vice-Presidents, each appointed from one of the three largest political groups in the European Parliament. In addition to their 'regular' role as Commissioner, they also manage a broader and horizontal policy area involving the coordination of multiple Commissioners. Unlike the other Vice-Presidents, Executive Vice-Presidents are assigned a specific Directorate-General under their authority for this part of their job and their policy areas are considered the top priorities of the incumbent European Commission.[5] [6]
Between 2004 and 2019, the position of First Vice-President existed instead. The main role of this position was that of a vice president in the narrow sense: taking over from the President in their absence. The position was established under the Barroso I Commission in 2004, with its first occupant being Margot Wallström. She was succeeded in the second Barroso Commission by Catherine Ashton who was also the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The last First Vice-President was Frans Timmermans as part of the Juncker Commission, who subsequently became one of three Executive Vice-Presidents in 2019.
Legend: – –
| Commission | Entered office | Left office | Name | State | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallstein I | |||||
| 7 January 1958 | 9 January 1962 | Sicco Mansholt | PvdA | ||
| 7 January 1958 | 9 January 1962 | Robert Marjolin | SFIO | ||
| 7 January 1958 | 15 September 1959 | Piero Malvestiti | DC | ||
| Hallstein II | |||||
| 10 January 1962 | 30 June 1967 | Sicco Mansholt | PvdA | ||
| 10 January 1962 | 30 June 1967 | Robert Marjolin | SFIO | ||
| 10 January 1962 | 15 May 1963 | Giuseppe Caron | DC | ||
| 30 July 1965 | 30 June 1967 | Lionello Sandri | PSI | ||
| Rey | |||||
| 2 July 1967 | 30 June 1970 | Sicco Mansholt | PvdA | ||
| 2 July 1967 | 30 June 1970 | Lionello Sandri | PSI | ||
| 2 July 1967 | 30 June 1970 | Fritz Hellwig | CDU | ||
| 2 July 1967 | 30 June 1970 | Raymond Barre | UDF | ||
| 2 July 1967 | 30 June 1970 | Wilhelm Haferkamp | SPD | ||
| Malfatti | |||||
| 1 July 1970 | 21 March 1972 | Sicco Mansholt | PvdA | ||
| 1 July 1970 | 21 March 1972 | Wilhelm Haferkamp | SPD | ||
| Mansholt | |||||
| 22 March 1972 | 5 January 1973 | Wilhelm Haferkamp | SPD | ||
| Ortoli | |||||
| 6 January 1973 | 5 January 1977 | Patrick Hillery | FF | ||
| 6 January 1973 | 5 January 1977 | Wilhelm Haferkamp | SPD | ||
| 6 January 1973 | 5 January 1977 | Henri Simonet | PS | ||
| 6 January 1973 | 5 January 1977 | Christopher Soames | Con. | ||
| 6 January 1973 | 5 January 1977 | Carlo Scarascia-Mugnozza | DC | ||
| Jenkins | |||||
| 6 January 1977 | 5 January 1981 | Wilhelm Haferkamp | SPD | ||
| 6 January 1977 | 5 January 1981 | Henk Vredeling | PvdA | ||
| 6 January 1977 | 5 January 1981 | Finn Olav Gundelach | SD | ||
| 6 January 1977 | 5 January 1981 | François-Xavier Ortoli | RPR | ||
| 6 January 1977 | 5 January 1981 | Lorenzo Natali | DC | ||
| Thorn | |||||
| 6 January 1981 | 5 January 1985 | Christopher Tugendhat | Con. | ||
| 6 January 1981 | 5 January 1985 | François-Xavier Ortoli | RPR | ||
| Delors I | |||||
| 6 January 1985 | 5 January 1989 | Frans Andriessen | CDA | ||
| 6 January 1985 | 5 January 1989 | Arthur Cockfield | Con. | ||
| 6 January 1985 | 5 January 1989 | Karl-Heinz Narjes | CDU | ||
| 6 January 1985 | 5 January 1989 | Lorenzo Natali | DC | ||
| 5 January 1986 | 5 January 1989 | Manuel Marín | PSOE | ||
| Delors II | |||||
| 6 January 1989 | 5 January 1993 | Frans Andriessen | CDA | ||
| 6 January 1989 | 5 January 1993 | Leon Brittan | Con. | ||
| 6 January 1989 | 5 January 1993 | Henning Christophersen | Venstre | ||
| 6 January 1989 | 5 January 1993 | Manuel Marín | PSOE | ||
| 6 January 1989 | 5 January 1993 | Filippo Maria Pandolfi | DC | ||
| Delors III | |||||
| 6 January 1993 | 22 January 1995 | Martin Bangemann | FDP | ||
| 6 January 1993 | 22 January 1995 | Leon Brittan | Con. | ||
| 6 January 1993 | 22 January 1995 | Henning Christophersen | Venstre | ||
| 6 January 1993 | 22 January 1995 | Manuel Marín | PSOE | ||
| 6 January 1993 | 22 January 1995 | Karel Van Miert | Sp.a | ||
| 6 January 1993 | 22 January 1995 | Antonio Ruberti | PSI | ||
| Santer | |||||
| 23 January 1995 | 13 September 1999 | Leon Brittan | Con. | ||
| 23 January 1995 | 19 July 1999 | Manuel Marín | PSOE | ||
| Prodi | |||||
| 16 September 1999 | 21 November 2004 | Neil Kinnock | Labour | ||
| 16 September 1999 | 21 November 2004 | Loyola de Palacio | PP | ||
| Barroso I | |||||
| 22 November 2004 | 9 February 2010 | Margot Wallström | SAP | ||
| 22 November 2004 | 9 February 2010 | Günter Verheugen | PSD | ||
| 22 November 2004 | 9 February 2010 | Jacques Barrot | UMP | ||
| 22 November 2004 | 9 February 2010 | Siim Kallas | ERP | ||
| 22 November 2004 | 8 May 2008 | Franco Frattini | FI | ||
| 9 May 2008 | 9 February 2010 | Antonio Tajani | FI | ||
| Barroso II | |||||
| 9 February 2010 | 31 October 2014 | Catherine Ashton | Labour | ||
| 9 February 2010 | 1 July 2014 | Viviane Reding | CSV | ||
| 9 February 2010 | 31 October 2014 | Joaquín Almunia | PSOE | ||
| 9 February 2010 | 31 October 2014 | Siim Kallas | ERP | ||
| 9 February 2010 | 31 October 2014 | Neelie Kroes | VVD | ||
| 9 February 2010 | 1 July 2014 | Antonio Tajani | PDL | ||
| 9 February 2010 | 31 October 2014 | Maroš Šefčovič | Smer | ||
| 27 October 2011 | 1 July 2014 | Olli Rehn | SK | ||
| 1 July 2014 | 31 October 2014 | Michel Barnier | UMP | ||
| 1 July 2014 | 31 October 2014 | Günther Oettinger | CDU | ||
| 16 July 2014 | 31 October 2014 | Jyrki Katainen | KOK | ||
| Juncker | |||||
| 1 November 2014 | 30 November 2019 | Frans Timmermans | PvdA | ||
| 1 November 2014 | 30 November 2019 | Federica Mogherini | PD | ||
| 1 November 2014 | 31 December 2016 | Kristalina Georgieva | GERB | ||
| 1 November 2014 | 30 November 2019 | Jyrki Katainen | KOK | ||
| 1 November 2014 | 30 November 2019 | Valdis Dombrovskis | Unity | ||
| 1 November 2014 | 1 July 2019 | Andrus Ansip | ERP | ||
| 1 November 2014 | 30 November 2019 | Maroš Šefčovič | Smer-SD | ||
| Von der Leyen | |||||
| 1 December 2019 | 22 August 2023 | Frans Timmermans | PvdA | ||
| 1 December 2019 | present | Margrethe Vestager | RV | ||
| 1 December 2019 | present | Valdis Dombrovskis | Unity | ||
| 1 December 2019 | present | Maroš Šefčovič | Smer-SD | ||
| 1 December 2019 | present | Josep Borrell | PSOE | ||
| 1 December 2019 | present | Věra Jourová | ANO | ||
| 1 December 2019 | present | Dubravka Šuica | HDZ | ||
| 1 December 2019 | present | Margaritis Schinas | ND |