A few days ago, the 26 new EU commissioners who will work alongside Ursula von der Leyen were announced. But how “clean” are the new commissioners?

The European Parliament’s legal affairs committee, known as JURI, reviews the tax returns of all top EU officials. While none of the 26 commissioners responded to a request for their statements, Politico obtained them all and reviewed them for the most interesting ones. details.

As the publication comments, there is no indication that anyone has done anything illegal, but there are some details that stood out, such as the large real estate of Apostolos Tzitzikostas who will be Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.

Apostolos Tzizikostas

So according to Politico, o Apostolos Tzizikostas has the most impressive property listing with 4 page statement describing partial or full ownership of 16 apartments, 655,463 sq.m of land, 6 stores, as well as many garages and storage areas throughout Greece. The family of Apostolos Tzizikostas is considered among the largest landowners in Greece, with land ownership dating back centuries, according to a Greek official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely. Mr. Tzitzikosta’s family is one of the richest in northern Greece.

Mr Tzitzikosta’s portfolio will include the tourism industry, raising questions about decisions he could make that could affect the value of his properties, said an MEP who had access to his statement and also spoke on condition of anonymity. of. The Greek politician, who also states that he owns shares over 200,000 euros in various businesses (from dairy to solar), he also received funding from Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy for one of his farms worth €18,116.30. At the time of publication, Tzitzikostas had not responded to a request for comment.

Rafael Fito

Italian commissioner Raffaele Fito said he owns 7 apartments and has shares in another 3. His properties, all in Italy, also include land, two garages and a cellar. The cohesion and reform portfolio is expected to be taken by the politician from the right-wing party of Georgia Meloni. It also states that it owns 15% of a pharmacy in Brindisi in southern Italy, the value of which is estimated – by him – at 150,000 euros.

Ekaterina Zakharieva

Bulgaria’s Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva has apparently also built her fortune in real estate. In 2008, he bought eto a plot of 6,850 sq.m. including one country house in the Greek peninsula of Halkidikias well as an apartment in her country’s capital, Sofia. Between 2016 and 2018, Zakhareva bought two more houses and plots of land in Bulgaria.

Valdis Dombrovskis

It is also strange, according to Politico, and the fact that the European commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, has filed a blank form.

In a statement, Dombrovskis told Politico: “My declarations of interests have been public for 10 years and have been fully completed in accordance with the current rules… I have been serving as a member of the European Commission for 10 years, so there are not many previous activities left. to be declared”.

He added: “I have made a conscious decision not to invest in shares or bonds of companies or similar instruments to avoid any perception of a potential conflict of interest, nor have I carried out any commercial activities.”

Stéphane Cezournet

Stéphane Cezournet, the French commissioner-designate for prosperity and competitiveness, was among those who pledged to create an EU-level regulator that would scrutinize politicians’ statements and champion transparency during his tenure as an MEP. by Renew. However, his own statements provide no indication of his financial assets or liabilities.

Maros Sefkovic

Slovakia’s Maros Sefcovic, who was asked by von der Leyen to review the EU’s transparency register, is also among those who have given few details of his assets in his statement.

Teresa Ribera

Spain’s Teresa Ribera, executive vice president for a clean, fair and competitive transition, is well connected in international climate circles. Before and during her tenure as Minister of Energy and Environment of Spain, she worked with more than 10 international NGOs, think tanks and bodies dealing with climate and environment.

Andrews Coubilius

The Lithuanian Andrews Koubilius, commissioner for defense and space, co-founded the “Forum of Friends of European Russia” in 2019, which supports the opposition and civil society in Russia. It is also a member of an association seen as highly critical of China. Kubilius was also a member of the international board of the International Republican Institute from 2016 to 2019. IRI is a non-profit group that receives US federal funds to help countries develop the mechanisms of democracy.

Marta Kos

Before being selected by Slovenia as a commissioner, Marta Kos worked for the Brussels lobbying firm Kreab as a senior adviser and also had her own consulting firm in Switzerland. While she has previously said she did not consider herself a lobbyist, Kos lists European football’s governing body UEFA as one of her 2021 clients at UN level “and its most relevant bodies”. Kos, did not voluntarily declare that her husband is Henri Getaz, former Secretary General of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA).