The Juncker Commission

During the election campaign, he called himself a "compromise machine." Jean-Claude Juncker is known to be self-confident, conversing fluently in German, English, and French. In July 2014, he became the first Commission president voted into office by the EU parliament. As head of Brussels' powerful bureaucracy, the former prime minister of Luxembourg wants to focus on jobs and growth.

Frans Timmermans earned a lot of respect as Dutch foreign minister, managing the crisis after flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine. As first vice-president, the Social Democrat will oversee the subsidiarity principle, ensuring that the EU only intervenes in areas where it can act more effectively than national governments.

Her business card will need a small font size. The former Italian foreign minister is the designated "High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy." Federica Mogherini's to-do list is equally impressive: it will require Herculean efforts to solve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and stop the wave of violence sweeping the Middle East.

His nomination sparked a lot of debate, especially in Germany. Pierre Moscovici's failure to comply with EU deficit regulations as French finance minister did not make him a given candidate for commissioner of Economic Affairs. When lawmakers grilled him in parliamentary confirmation hearings, Moscovici repeatedly promised to enforce the EU’s existing deficit rules diligently.

In confirmation hearings, Margrethe Vestager impressed members of parliament with her relaxed attitude. But her job is one of the most influential in Brussels. Denmark’s former economy minister has a logjam of antitrust cases on her desk, including high-profile names such as Google and Gazprom. Vestager is one of only nine women on Juncker's team.

The conservative leader of the House of Lords is another key figure in Juncker's team. Jonathan Hill will be responsible for overseeing the banking and financial sectors in the EU. Critics say that Hill, nominated by British Prime Minister David Cameron, might work in London's interest, not in Brussels'. Hill believes the UK's interests are best served by playing "a leading role" in the EU.

Andrus Ansip will be in charge of all things digital concerning the EU's single market. His home country, Estonia, where he served as prime minister from 2005 to 2014, is regarded as a beacon of digital development. In confirmation hearings, he threatened to suspend an important data agreement with the US. Ansip has so far largely eclipsed Digital Commissioner Günther Oettinger from Germany.

At first glance, the appointment of Ansip seems to sideline Gunther Oettinger. Until now, the German was responsible for the key energy portfolio. In future, he's in charge of the "digital economy". Is this a downgrade for Germany in Brussels? Oettinger vehemently says 'no' because expanding the use of digital technologies is currently more important than building roads.