Von der Leyen set to miss gender-balance target for EU top jobs

Goal of equal share of men and women in jeopardy after member states ignore request for male and female candidates

Ursula von der Leyen is set to miss her target of a gender-balanced top team at the European Commission, after EU governments snubbed her request to propose male and female candidates.

The first female president of the EU executive, who was re-elected for a historic second term last month, is drawing up her team of commissioners. Akin to government ministers, these are senior EU officials who oversee the bloc's climate, technology and industrial policies, negotiate trade deals, police European law, dole out billions of grants and draw up the budget for the union.