Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, announced her new team on Tuesday to lead the European Union’s executive arm, capping a difficult process as she navigates the rise of nationalist political forces and Europe’s shrinking share of the global economy.
In her second term, Ms. von der Leyen must balance her priorities in office — providing support to Ukraine, bolstering European defense and reshaping the economy so the bloc can better compete with the United States and China — while presiding over a continent that has tilted to the right and is skeptical of concentrating more power in Brussels.
She assigned top positions to leaders including Stéphane Séjourné of France and Spain’s Teresa Ribera, but, perhaps most notably, to Italy’s Raffaele Fitto, solidifying the influential role that Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, now plays in determining European policymaking.
Mr. Meloni’s party has its political roots in Italy’s failed experiment with fascism and has a long history of skepticism toward the European Union. But since taking office in 2022, she has cast herself as a pragmatic partner on the international stage and with Brussels.
She was the only leader of a major Western European country whose party made significant gains in the June vote for the European Parliament, and has positioned herself as a bridge between centrists and the far right.
Mr. Fitto’s proposed appointment “is a recognition of Meloni’s importance in Europe and for von der Leyen’s agenda,” said Mujtaba Rahman, the managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group, a consultancy. “It’s a sign that her party cannot be ignored in Europe.”
The European Commission has 27 commissioners, with one for each member state. The commissioners act much like national ministers and shape policy affecting E.U. member countries in areas including health, economy and trade for the bloc. The proposed appointments still require approval from the European Parliament, a process that is expected to take weeks.
Through Mr. Fitto, who was given portfolio for issues involving the European Union’s single market, Ms. Meloni will be able to exert influence from the upper echelons of European politics, Mr. Rahman said.
It was the first time someone from the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists party, presided over by Ms. Meloni, received such a high-profile position in the commission.
Ms. von der Leyen, a conservative German politician, narrowly won enough backing after the European elections in June, which rewarded centrist conservatives but also increased support for nationalist political groupings farther on the right.
When Ms. Meloni declined to support Ms. von der Leyen for another term as president of the European Commission in the aftermath of those elections, opposition forces in Italy predicted that the Italian leader would be condemned to the sidelines of European politics.
But Mr. Fitto’s appointment, experts say, shows Ms. von der Leyen’s intention to continue working with Ms. Meloni. She may have little choice, as Ms. Meloni’s support remains critical for Ms. von der Leyen to follow through on important parts of her agenda.
Writing on social media on Tuesday, Ms. Meloni said, “Italy is finally back to being a protagonist in Europe.”
Ms. Meloni scored another victory on Monday, when Keir Starmer, the center-left leader of Britain, far from a natural ally, praised her migration policy, saying that Italy has made “remarkable progress” in curbing illegal immigration.
It was yet another sign that Ms. Meloni had become an acceptable partner for European leaders, unlike other conservative leaders in Europe who remained taboo. The importance of Italy as one of the bloc’s largest economies and a founding member of the European Union also made it harder for leaders to shun Ms. Meloni.
Still, Ms. von der Leyen assigned a number of positions with overlapping remits, which could be problematic, said Jacob Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Brussels.
Piotr Serafin of Poland, for instance, received the crucial budget portfolio. While Mr. Fitto’s title is big, he may risk being overshadowed by Mr. Serafin on economic and budget issues, Mr. Kirkegaard said.
At the same time, Mr. Séjourné will oversee industrial strategy, and Ms. Ribera will be in charge of competition policy and the transition to a cleaner economy.
“She is notorious for having run a very top-down commission,” he said. “Who is to adjudicate between turf wars? Obviously the president.”
Mr. Kirkegaard said that Ms. von der Leyen had sent a clear signal by putting leaders from Baltic countries, which have taken a hard line against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, in charge of foreign and security policies.
Additionally, Magnus Brunner of Austria will oversee migration. Andrius Kubilius of Lithuania will head the newly created portfolio of defense.
“She has very clearly, and very deliberately, tried to give what were otherwise quite potentially challenging portfolios to commissioners from some of the member states that might be most troublesome,” he said.
About 40 percent of the commissioners, or 11 commissioners, were women, up significantly from what members states originally proposed. Ms. von der Leyen said she worked intensely with member states to boost the representation of women. Of the six vice presidents, four are women.
“It shows that as much as we have achieved, there is still so much more work to do,” Ms. von der Leyen said.
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