Dan Jørgensen has been nominated as Denmark’s next EU Commissioner by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. He expresses confidence that his gender will not affect his chances of obtaining a significant position within the European Commission. This is despite European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s request for EU member states to nominate both a woman and a man for the commissioner roles, a request Denmark has opted not to follow.

President von der Leyen has been advocating for a balanced gender representation among commissioners. However, with the nomination of Dan Jørgensen, there are concerns about whether this decision will hinder Denmark’s prospects. Jørgensen believes that various factors will play a role in the final decision, and he hopes that his qualifications will carry weight in the evaluation.

Lykke Friis, director of the think tank Europa (Europe), acknowledges that von der Leyen faces challenges in achieving gender balance but suggests that the president may need to focus on assigning key positions to female commissioners to be successful in this effort.

During a press conference, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sought to alleviate concerns by highlighting that Denmark has had female commissioners for two decades in the past. She maintains confidence that Denmark will secure a central commissioner position, regardless of the gender distribution.

If approved, Dan Jørgensen will become the ninth Danish EU Commissioner since 1973, thus balancing Denmark’s history with an equal number of men and women in this role.