European Commissioners 1952–1995: National Routes to a European Elite

Abstract

In the study of national governmental systems the analysis of the recruitment and composition of the political personnel of the executive branch is a standard feature. This typically includes the socio-economic background of cabinet ministers, the mechanisms and patterns of their recruitment, and the identification of trends over time. While the powers and functions of the European Commission, and the staffing of its permanent bureaucracy, have received much attention, there has been no systematic study of the Commissioners as a group. This chapter makes a first step towards filling this gap.¹ It gathers data on the highest political level of the European Commission — the Commissioners themselves.² The focus is on the characteristics of the College of Commissioners and changes in its nature over time. At its most simple it attempts to answer the basic questions: where do Commissioners come from and what sort of people are they? The factors investigated include: patterns of appointment and tenure of service; gender and age; education and previous occupation; political experience and affiliations; and involvement in European and international organisations.