The European Parliament hearings of Commissioner-designates will start on Monday afternoon (4 November), but unlike in previous hearings, the European People’s Party (EPP) seems to have the upper hand. With 26 nominees lined up for vetting, each committee in the European Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the candidates' expertise and suitability for their roles. While these hearings are intended to assess competence, they are also likely to reflect underlying political alliances, rivalries and strategic timing that could affect the outcome and timing of each appointment. The EPP, the largest group in the European Parliament, is poised to leverage its position to push through favoured candidates and ultimately shape both the composition and agenda of the incoming Commission. To look into the hearings, host Evi Kiorri is joined by Euractiv's politics reporters Magnus Lund Nielsen and Nicoletta Ionta. [Edited by Daniel Eck]