The new European Commission – Insights from Komit

After this year’s European elections, the process of forming a new Commission began—a step less familiar to many. The Commission functions as the EU’s cabinet, with President Ursula von der Leyen serving as its equivalent to a prime minister. Unlike Sweden, where ministers are drawn from elected representatives, each EU member state nominates a Commissioner. These nominees, known as Commissioners-elect, receive a mission letter outlining their responsibilities, but must first pass a hearing and a vote in the European Parliament. Among them is Roxana Mînzatu from Romania, representing the Socialist and Democrats (S&D) party group, with the portfolio of People, Skills, and Preparedness, which includes the area of higher education. SFS’ internatioinal committeé, Komit, has read Roxana Mînzatu’s mission letter and listened to the hearing, and in this blog post we provide an overview of what they entail within our area of interest: higher education.

Roxana Mînzatu, European Commissioner for People, Skills and Preparedness

Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness

A new portfolio

In the previous Commission (2019–2024), education was included in the portfolio titled ”Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth”. It is not unusual that portfolios are updated or changed to align better with current objectives and priorities when a new commission is formed. This is the case this time as well, where the most notable change for the education sector is that research and innovation and higher education has been divided into different portfolios. 

The portfolio of People, Skills, and Preparedness includes higher education, and highlights the connection placed between education, workforce development, and skill-building in the European Union. The mission letter outlines Mînzatu’s role in developing a “Union of Skills”, which aims to align Europe’s education and training systems with the needs of a competitive, inclusive, and resilient society. This vision emphasizes fostering lifelong learning, closing skills gaps, and ensuring equitable access to education and training opportunities.

Some of the mission letter’s core priorities include:

  • Expanding vocational education and training (VET, Yrkesutbildning in Swedish) programs and addressing gaps in STEM education and digital literacy.
  • Promoting lifelong learning (LLL) and the recognition of qualifications to enhance workforce adaptability.
  • Strengthening the European Education Area (EEA) as a framework for high-quality, inclusive, and accessible education.
  • Scaling up initiatives like the European Universities Alliances and fostering collaboration across sectors under the Pact for Skills.

These initiatives aim to build a sustainable and equitable skills ecosystem, bringing together stakeholders such as governments, educators, and businesses to address immediate and long-term challenges. With the ambitious goals, the commission is continuing to take steps toward more integration and harmonization of member states’ higher education frameworks. 

Roxana Mînzatu’s Hearing

Mînzatu’s hearing took place on November 12. During the hearing, Mînzatu addressed questions from members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and provided further clarity on how she intends to fulfill her mandate. The discussion emphasized inclusivity, funding, and collaboration, while also touching on specific challenges. A recurring theme was the Erasmus+ program. Mînzatu underscored its role in achieving the EEA’s goals and committed to making the program more inclusive. MEPs raised concerns about the financial barriers faced by many students, especially those with disabilities, to which Mînzatu proposed combining funding sources to ensure broader access. She set a target to raise participation from vulnerable groups from 17% to 25%, with measures like funding top-ups and leveraging the European Social Fund Plus. 

One MEP addressed the resistance from member states regarding key initiatives within EEA, namely the proposed European Degree (ED) and EEAs work on automatic recognition of diplomas. Mînzatu outlined her strategy for working within existing frameworks, emphasizing especially the European Universities Alliances, where she wants to see them gaining a legal status, and emphasized maintaining quality assurance while balancing institutional autonomy. She expressed that no new proposals for automatic recognition are planned, instead focus is on bilateral engagement with member states to advance existing agreements.

Mînzatu acknowledged the critical need to address gaps in STEM education while also ensuring that social sciences, humanities, and arts are not sidelined. She proposed a vision of intersectionality, suggesting that curricula could integrate STEM with arts and other disciplines to create well-rounded education programs. 

Vocational education and training (VET) emerged as a cornerstone of her agenda. Mînzatu discussed plans for a common European VET strategy, as well as a European University Initiative for VET. Additionally, she addressed concerns about the misuse of traineeships, calling for common definitions, standards, and guidance to ensure fair practices. On the financial sustainability of Erasmus+ and other initiatives, Mînzatu affirmed that the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) would provide a sound basis for funding. Mobility and inclusivity were central to her vision, as she stressed the importance of removing barriers to access for all groups.

Insights from Komit

Mînzatu’s mission letter and hearing provide a good understanding for what can be expected during her term as Commissioner for People, Skills, and Preparedness. Her focus on the Union of Skills signals a strong commitment to aligning education and workforce development with Europe’s broader goals of inclusivity, resilience, and competitiveness. As students, we find it worrisome with the focus on education as mainly a tool for competitiveness and labour market needs, visible both in the stated priorities as well as in the name of the portfolio that does not mention education. We can see this trend both nationally and on the EU-level, and find it concerning as it risks undermining the broader societal benefits that education can and should provide. 

We can see parallels with the priorities outlined in Minzatus mission letter and the priorities we see in Sweden as well, with focus on lifelong learning, STEM and VET for example. At the same time, Mînzatu also highlights the importance of Erasmus+, mobility, and inclusiveness, showing her aims of creating an education ecosystem that is both adaptable and equitable. 

The parallel alignment between national and EU priorities, as well as the European Commission’s seemingly shifting focus toward greater harmonization in the education sector, makes it important for SFS, through participation in ESU as well as individually, to continue to monitor the developments and actively engage where possible to safeguard students’ interests and the quality of education. Areas of rising importance, such as VET, recognition of qualifications, and the continued development of the European Universities Alliances including European Degrees, are examples of issues SFS could look more closely at.