European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has postponed the presentation of her new team of European Commissioners, which was originally

expected to take place on Wednesday. According to parliamentary sources, von der Leyen will now present her new team next week.

Von der Leyen had been scheduled to meet with leaders of the European Parliament's political groups to discuss the formation of her 26-member team, which will steer the EU's executive branch for the next five years. However, her absence from the meeting signals that the process of finalizing the Commission's appointments is taking longer than anticipated.

The delay is partly attributed to Slovenia's last-minute decision to nominate former diplomat Marta Kos as its candidate for Commissioner. The Slovenian government announced this change on Monday, but it still requires ratification by the country's parliament.

The decision to replace Slovenia’s original nominee follows von der Leyen's push for gender parity in her team, with the Commission president lobbying several EU governments to reconsider their male candidates in favor of female nominees.

A spokesperson for the Commission had described Wednesday's meeting as an "exchange of views" regarding the ongoing efforts to establish the new team, indicating that the final structure was not yet ready.

Von der Leyen is now expected to reveal her team of Commissioners during next week's European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. Each nominee will face parliamentary committee hearings and must pass a confirmation vote before they can formally take their positions.