A leading official in the European Commission’s fight against racism, a black European woman, has been excluded from a reshuffle that has left her downgraded, with a group of left-leaning MEPs warning of “systemic inequality”. people.
The European Commission announced earlier this month that its coordinator for combating anti-Semitism and promoting Jewish life, as well as its coordinator for combating anti-Muslim hatred, would be transferred to its General Secretariat, the top department of the EU executive, reporting directly to it.
However, MEPs and campaigners said the commission’s anti-racism coordinator would remain in the standards department, in a lower position and with less weight.
Michaela Moua, a former Finnish NGO executive, became the commission’s first anti-racism coordinator in 2021, a position that comes amid the global Black Lives Matter movement and the EU’s first anti-racism Established after strategy. She was the only one of the three who was not transferred to von der Leyen’s department.
In 2023, the Commission announced the promotion of three coordinators to envoys to strengthen their work, signaling that the Commission considers the status of the three coordinators to be equal.
Although none were appointed envoys, the pair’s promotion to the general secretariat was seen as opening the door to promotions while giving them greater political clout.
In a formal question to the committee, MEPs representing the Socialists, Left and Green parties said: “This exclusion affects the sole racialized coordinator and raises concerns about systemic inequalities.”
They asked the committee to explain how it would “ensure that all forms of racism are given equal attention because coordinators are placed at different levels?”
French Green Party MP Melissa Camara said in a statement to the Guardian: “The decision was made to place the coordinator for combating anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred at the highest level of the European Commission, while also placing the anti-racism coordinator at the highest level of the European Commission. Demoted to a lower position.
The European Anti-Racism Network said the disparity sent “a dangerous message about the Commission’s priorities”, created “unacceptable hierarchies” in anti-racism work and undermined “the fight against racism as a systemic issue” efforts”.
The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment.
In the EU anti-racism strategy, the Commission pledged to “significantly increase the diversity of its staff” and tackle all forms of racism, including unconscious bias.
Outcry over the reshuffle followed von der Leyen’s removal of the independent post of EU equality commissioner. The Equality Commissioner is now also responsible for preparedness and crisis management, which rights groups say represents a de-escalation that risks undermining the equality agenda.
MEP Camara is a member of the European Parliament’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Group, which was re-established in early December. For the first time, the group consists only of leaders from the three European parliamentary groups – Socialists, Left and Greens – without the centrist Ennahda or the centre-right European People’s Party as chairmen or co-chairs, although those factions are offering membership.
Insiders believe this reflects the rightward shift in parliament since European elections in June led to a record number of far-right MEPs. “We are witnessing a more polarized and increasingly racist European Parliament,” Camara said.