Ursula von der Leyen The German will face the decisive exam in the European Parliament on Thursday and will pass it with a much higher grade than was expected just a few days ago. The German has guaranteed herself re-election for a second term as head of the European Commission by to gain the support of the GreensIn 2019, he was elected by a margin of just 9 votes, but this time he could have a much more comfortable majority.
The environmental group has decided to enter the ‘grand coalition’ The Greens, Socialists and Liberals have agreed to a joint meeting in order to ensure the stability of the entire 2024-2029 legislative period and the continuity of the policies of Von der Leyen’s first term. The four groups have negotiated (separately) with the German the government programme that she will present to the plenary in order to gain the confidence of the European Parliament. Although the final text is not yet known, the Greens are “quite satisfied” with these political orientations.
To achieve the investiture, the president needs to achieve an absolute majority of votesthat is, the support of 361 of the 719 deputies (the seat of the fugitive ex-councillor Toni Comin The original grand coalition of the Popular Party, Socialists and Liberals had 401 votes, a margin considered very tight to cover possible leaks, since the vote is secret.
[El Parlamento Europeo aplica el cordón sanitario al grupo de Orbán y Vox pero no a Meloni]
The entry into the Von der Leyen platform of the Greens gain 53 extra seatsa safety net more than sufficient to guarantee her re-election. The support of environmentalists does not exclude the German from being able to also receive votes from a part of the European Conservatives and Reformists group (the group of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni), but there have been no formal negotiations with them, according to the sources consulted.
The other two radical right groups – the Patriots for Europe of Viktor Orbán, Marine Le Pen and Vox and the Europe of Sovereign Nations of Alternative for Germany– have already announced that they will vote against Von der Leyen. They argue that the rise of the far right on 9 June means that citizens want a change of policy in Europe and not the continuity that Germany represents.
What made the Greens join the ‘grand coalition’, in which they did not participate in the previous legislature? Their main argument is the need to build a “wall” to stop the rise of far-right forces, those that grew the most in the 9-J elections. Von der Leyen’s failure in the European Parliament would only benefit Viktor Orbán or Vladimir Putin. The formation of a stable pro-European majority will prevent the ultra-right forces from having any influence in the EU, despite their 26% of seats in the new European Parliament.
The second reason why the Greens agree to support Von der Leyen is that the German has committed to them to maintain her political priorities during this legislative period. In particular, the European Green Dealthe package of political initiatives to ensure that the EU meets the objectives of the climate transition. The European Green Deal is one of the bêtes noires of all radical right-wing groups and has also been questioned by some sections of the EPP. For the Greens it is also essential that the new Commission stands firm in defending the rule of law in countries such as Hungary.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, during the press conference following her re-election on Tuesday in Strasbourg
Although few noticed it, the entry of the Greens into the ‘grand coalition’ was staged for the first time in the re-election as president of the European Parliament of Roberta Metsolawho like Von der Leyen belongs to the European People’s Party (EPP). Metsola won a landslide majority of 562 out of 623 votes cast. The Greens kept their part of the deal giving up on presenting their own candidate (contrary to what the radical left did with Irene Montero) and with the support of practically 100% of the Maltese group.
The ‘grand coalition’ returned the political gesture to the environmentalists in the election of the 14 vice-presidents. In the first round of voting, only the popular, socialist and liberal candidates made the cut, but also the green party Nicolae Stefanuta. In contrast, the two vice-presidents of the European Conservatives and Reformists and the one elected by the Left had to wait until the second round. The Patriots and the Europe of Sovereign Nations were subject to a cordon sanitaire.
Von der Leyen’s final vote It is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.. The German will first have to present to the plenary the priorities that she has agreed with the ‘grand coalition’. These include strengthening the defence of the EU, improving economic competitiveness and the fight against illegal immigration. In this last chapter, the German must achieve a complex balance between the right wing of the EPP and the Greens, warn the sources consulted.
However, the main novelty of the last few days is the emphasis on housing policy, despite the fact that the EU has very few powers in this area. The Socialists have asked Von der Leyen to creates the position of Housing Commissioner“We cannot move forward if our young people cannot rent, let alone buy, a place to call home. There is a housing crisis emerging in Europe and we must have the tools to tackle it even at European level,” Metsola said in her speech on the priorities of the legislature.
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