The Croatian Parliament Committee on European Affairs on Thursday supported with a majority vote the government's decision to nominate Dubravka Suica for its Commissioner in the new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen to the 2019-2024 period.

After hearing the arguments presented by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, the Committee endorsed the government’s decision with 10 votes in favour, while five Committee members abstained.

Those who abstained from voting were Opposition MPs Domagoj Hajdukovic and Josko Klisovic of the Social Democratic Paty (SDP), independent MPs Bojan Glavasevic and Marin Skibola and Bridge party MP Ines Strenja.

A Croatian member of the European Parliament, Suica, has been elected to the EP three times, and her first election of a Croatian MEP was in 2013 when Croatia joined the Union. She was reelected in 2014 and in 2019.

Suica, 62, a teacher of English and German language and literature, worked in several schools in her hometown of Dubrovnik and was the headmaster of a local grammar school. During her political career, Suica, an official of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), was a member of the national parliament and the mayor of Dubrovnik from 2001 to 2009.

Suica has been a vice-president of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs, and of the EP delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. In June this year she became a vice-president of the European People’s Party (EPP).

The nominated commissioners proposed by EC President Ursula von der Leyen are to be confirmed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.