David Cameron to name British diplomat as new commissioner

Julian King, current UK ambassador to France, has a lot of Brussels experience.

STRASBOURG — David Cameron is expected to name the U.K.’s current ambassador to France, Sir Julian King, to fill Britain’s soon-to-be-vacant seat on the European Commission, EU officials said Tuesday.

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sounded out EU parliamentary leaders Monday night at a dinner in Strasbourg on the possibility that King — a diplomat with a long Brussels résumé — would be approved for the post by the European Parliament, according to sources familiar with the discussion.

Britain’s current member of the Commission, Jonathan Hill, announced soon after the British vote to leave the EU that he would resign his post, effective July 15. Hill’s financial services portfolio is being shifted to Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.

Both Juncker and Cameron agreed last week during an EU summit that the U.K. should name a replacement for Hill to serve on the Commission until the Brexit process is complete. The new commissioner’s duties will have to be determined later.

King, who worked as chief of staff to former British trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, was proposed by Cameron, according to EU officials. But the choice will have to be confirmed by the European Parliament, whose members held an at-times testy debate Tuesday on the fallout from Brexit.

The Commission’s chief spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, would not comment “at this stage” on the process of filling the U.K. vacancy. “President Juncker said he was open to discuss names with the British prime minister,” said Schinas. “When we have something, we shall announce.”

King’s prior experience includes two postings in the U.K.’s permanent representation in Brussels, as well as jobs as head of cabinet to Catherine Ashton, who succeeded Mandelson as EU trade commissioner, and director general of the Northern Ireland office.

Choosing a career diplomat over a politician to fill the Commission vacancy was considered an easier option for moving him through a potentially tough parliamentary confirmation process.

A U.K. government spokesperson said Cameron was “working to fill the role of U.K. commissioner as quickly as possible, given that Jonathan Hill stands down on 15th July. As the Prime Minister said, we are a full, contributing and paying member of the EU until we leave and therefore we are entitled to — and it is right — that we should have a commissioner working in Brussels.”

This article was updated to include a statement from a U.K. government spokesperson.