Jean-Claude Juncker has been urged to appoint at least ten women to the next European Commission by the women in the current college of commissioners.

In a draft letter to Juncker, who next week will be confirmed as the next president of the Commission, the female commissioners say that he should follow the example of José Manuel Barroso, the current Commission president.

The letter says: “Around one-third of European commissioners have been women, largely because José Manuel Barroso put his foot down and insisted on this.”

“The female commissioners are very worried that the next Commission may not have a sufficient number of women”, Androulla Vassiliou, the European commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, said during a press conference today. Ten names have been publicly put forward for the next Commission (including Juncker) and all are men.

The letter says that “the European Union is committed to making continual progress towards gender equality. Such progress demands an increase, not a decrease in the number of female Commissioners, particularly as we have grown to be a family of 28 Member States.”

The official letter is expected to be released in the coming days, a Commission spokesperson said. They women commissioners are waiting for Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief and a vice-president of the Commission, to add her name to the others.

Some of the current crop of commissioners have already publicly expressed their support for the campaign. Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for the digital agenda, said on Twitter: “Count my fingers – it’s that easy. We need ten or more women European Commissioners, out of 28.”

The draft letter says:

Dear Jean-Claude

We wish to support your call for Member States to support more women as new Commissioners.

Over the past ten years, around one-third of European Commissioners have been women, largely because José Manuel Barroso put his foot down and insisted on this.

It is also increasingly clear via research and anecdote that large organisations perform better with a diverse leadership; this corresponds with our own experience in the Barroso I and Barroso II Commissions.

The European Union is committed to making continual progress towards gender equality. Such progress demands an increase, not a decrease in the number of female Commissioners, particularly as we have grown to be a family of 28 Member States.  

We therefore urge Member States to nominate at least 10 female Commissioners, with your support.

You deserve a flying start – and with 10 or more female Commissioners in your team you will get it.