"The debate was useful for me, and I'm also happy about the final outcome," Lenarčič said after the vote.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec wrote on Twitter that the endorsement was "a good decision for Slovenia".

The government is expected to take note of the committee's opinion tomorrow, when it formally nominates him for the post, well before the 26 August deadline for candidacies.

Lenarčič told the committee that he would strive for equal treatment of citizens from all members states, consistent observance of EU law, and strengthening of the rule of law.

He said that Europe's economy was presently in good shape, that mass migration flows were mostly stopped or under control.

Still, there are signs of the economy cooling and of tensions in global trade, which necessitates reducing public debt, securing more social justice, while the EU also still remains to put in place an effective, humane and solidarity-based migration policy.

Regulation of migrations also requires the efficient return of persons not eligible for international protection, coupled with a solidarity mechanism to help countries that are under severe pressure, he said.

Lenarčič is against an extension of the Brexit deadline, unless there is a justified reason, for instance a high likelihood of an orderly Brexit.

Lenarčič also said the transition to a low carbon society would "demand enormous investment" if the goal is to be reached in a socially sustainable manner. There is also no common migration policy yet, while the EU should not forget about the Western Balkans, which Lenarčič labelled the bloc's interior courtyard.

Touching on controls on the EU's internal border, Lenarčič said that restoring Schengen was associated with the creation of a single migration and asylum policy. Given the deep divisions, a new proposal is required.

In general, he said he mostly shared the vision for Europe promulgated by European Commission President elect Ursula von der Leyen.

While there was general agreement among committee members that he is qualified for the job, some argued he lacked political experience.

The SD, angry at Prime Minister Marjan Šarec not consulting the coalition before announcing his pick, also reiterated its claim that he lacks democratic legitimacy because he did not contest the EU election.

"To demand that someone who has become MEP become commissioner is just as wrong as demanding they not become commissioner," Lenarčič said.

Several MPs wanted to know whether he will protect the interests of Slovenia or the EU, to which he replied that commissioners are committed to pursuing shared interests, but that is not a problem since Slovenia's interests are mostly aligned with the EU's.

Asked about what he can do as commissioner so that Croatia respects the border arbitration tribunal's ruling, Lenarčič said that he will constantly warn that court decisions need to be respected.

Lenarčič does not plan to become a member of any party, but he plans to participate in political meetings of the liberal group, of which the Slovenian prime minister is a member. He said this was "sensible and useful".

He was also reluctant to speak about his portfolio of choice, beyond once again singling out environment, digitalisation, research, regional policy, enlargement and external trade as departments of interest to Slovenia.

"These are dynamic departments important for the EU and important for Slovenia," he said, while also noting that there were no bad portfolios. The final decision will be in the hands of the Commission president. "There are as many wishes as there are member states," he noted.

One Left MP, Tadej Tašner Vatovec, and one Social Democrat (SD) voted against Lenarčič, the former because he thinks Lenarčič is not ambitious enough and would not be capable of advocating strong positions on the Commission, and the latter because of the party's long-standing opposition to how Lenarčič was picked.

The Democrats (SDS), the biggest opposition party, abstained because they were not consulted about the candidacy, but SDS deputy group leader Danijel Krivec said Lenarčič shared many of the SDS's views, in particular when it came to migrations and asylum policy.

"We warned him that he will probably have to align with the current government since his statements are in opposition to [government] views. I hope the government listens," Krivec said after the session.