New EU commission may be delayed to December: Speaker
October 12, 2019, 11:05 am

New EU commission may be delayed to December: Speaker

European Parliament speaker David Sassoli said Saturday it is likely the new European Commission will take office a month late after the assembly rejected several candidates. (File photo AP)

European Parliament speaker David Sassoli said Saturday it is likely the new European Commission will take office a month late after the assembly rejected several candidates, including France’s.

MEPs have so far rejected Sylvie Goulard, French French President Emmanuel Macron’s choice, plus candidates from Hungary and Romania at confirmation hearings for the new commissioners who will take office under Germany’s Ursula Von der Leyen.

“The parliament is engaged in a transparent process (of review). Now, three other candidates must be named by Romania, Hungary and France and then we will proceed to examine their candidacies,” Sassoli was quoted as saying by Italian news agencies.

“I think it is perhaps no longer possible to respect the November 1 date and we will go to December 1,” the Italian national added.

The confirmation hearings for the commission, the executive arm of the European Union, were supposed to wrap up by October 23.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission said Friday that the timing of when the new commission sits rests with the European Parliament and how long it takes for the three countries to put up new candidates.

source:AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”