Gender Balance Controversy in Lead Positions Sparks Clash in Parliament’s AGRI Committee
The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee (AGRI) gathered on July 23, where Czech MEP Veronika Vrecionová was elected as chair. However, a vote for one of the vice-chair positions was deferred due to gender balance concerns.
During the committee’s inaugural meeting, members were set to elect a chair and four vice-chairs, adhering to the European Parliament’s rules mandating gender balance. Vrecionová, who previously served as the group’s coordinator in AGRI during the 2019-2024 term, was put forward by the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. She was elected unopposed, receiving 31 votes in favor, eight against, and 10 abstentions.
After voting for three vice-chairs—Romanian MEP Daniel Buda, elected as the first vice-chair, and German MEP Norbert Lins as the second—French MEP Eric Sergiacomo from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) was elected as the third vice-chair. This nomination raised issues of gender balance as it resulted in three male vice-chairs.
When the EPP proposed Polish MEP Krzysztof Hetman for the fourth vice-chair slot, it prompted Socialist MEP Christophe Clergeau to request a postponement of the vote, arguing that the committee should uphold gender equality principles. Clergeau noted that despite electing a female chair, the prospect of having all four vice-chairs being male violated gender balance rules.
The decision to delay the vote on AGRI’s fourth vice-chair until September was supported by a narrow margin of 23 votes in favor to 21 against. MEPs from the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group abstained from the vote, having exited the meeting after their candidate, Spanish MEP Mireia Borrás Pabón (Vox), lost to Lins.
The PfE’s candidacy for a leadership position was met with opposition from a pro-European coalition including the EPP, S&D, Renew, and the Greens, which followed a strategy to prevent far-right representation in key roles. As a result, the far-right group opted to withdraw from the meeting, highlighting tensions within the committee surrounding representation and gender parity in leadership roles.
SOURCE
John Peterson graduated with a degree in Agricultural Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. His specialization is in sustainable crop production and soil health management. John is passionate about integrating modern technology with traditional farming methods to enhance productivity while preserving the environment. He currently works as a consultant, helping farmers adopt sustainable practices.