Teresa Ribera

After her nomination, observers regarded Teresa Ribera as the second most powerful person in the EU Commission. As a left-wing climate and environmental politician, she was seen as the keeper of the Green Deal's seal of approval. To some extent, expectations of Ribera were high as she had previously achieved a rapid ascent in Spanish politics to become Deputy Prime Minister. Since starting her new role at the end of 2024, however, she has remained rather quiet. Although she often lets other enjoy the limelight, she does not shy away from conflict with her colleagues. Behind the scenes, Ribera continues to be seen as a campaigner for climate action and never misses an opportunity to influence her boss Ursula von der Leyen — and the President of the Commission needs her to defend the Green Deal against her own colleagues in the center-right CDU.