Women land top roles as EU chief von der Leyen unveils new team

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled her new team for her next five-year tenure at the head of the bloc (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen put women in many of the top roles of her new team for her next five-year tenure at the head of the bloc on Tuesday after many EU member states had been reluctant to live up to her demand for gender parity.

Von der Leyen put six women among the eight top positions in her team. She and foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas were already agreed on by government leaders, but she added Spanish Socialist Teresa Ribero to lead the green transition on top of becoming the competition and anti-trust tsar. Three other women were also named as vice presidents.