Šefčovič has now served under three Commission presidents (Barroso, Jean-Claude Juncker and Ursula von der Leyen). The EU has also experienced two major financial crises, Brexit, a pandemic and the start of a war on its border. And yet Šefčovič has persevered: a reliable man who is occasionally seconded to take care of portfolios that need a competent, temporary administrator.
He was tasked with overseeing the EU’s response to exceptional challenges such as Brexit and helping with issues related to energy, health and consumer policy. Most recently, he was given responsibility for the European Green Deal, one of the outgoing Commission’s flagship initiatives, following Frans Timmermans’ decision to run in the Dutch elections last year.
This consistency should now make Šefčovič an unusual record holder. He is the third longest-serving EU Commissioner (over 5,400 days in office as of early August) and is virtually certain to move into second place, ahead of Dutch Social Democrat Sicco Mansholt (who served 5,475 days and was also Commission President).
Since Slovakia has decided to reappoint him for an unprecedented fifth time, Šefčovič has a good chance of taking the top spot and displacing Wilhelm Haferkamp (6,397 days), a German Social Democrat who was commissioner for 18 years between 1967 and 1985. Mark the date: it should happen on April 8, 2027.
Mr. Repair-it
Given the relatively short term in office of most EU Commissioners, Šefčovič’s staying power in Brussels is remarkable. Since 2000, Commissioners have served an average of just over five years in office.
His nationality also makes him unique: few of the ten Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004 have followed Slovakia’s example in nominating their Commissioners with such enthusiasm.
