BERLIN, May 25. (DPA/EP) –
The president of the European Commission, the German Ursula von der Leyen, defended this Saturday her prospects for cooperation with far-right parties in the European Parliament in the face of the next elections in June, despite the harsh criticism received, such as those made by the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz.
In an interview with the Deutschlandfunk radio station, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician explained that her intention is to “win over the political forces that are so important for the center majority” and has asked that the attention not focus on the parliamentary groups, but on the MEPs themselves.
“The criterion for me is that the deputies with whom we want to work, to whom we make an offer, are in favor of Europe, in favor of Ukraine, that is, against Russia, and in favor of the rule of law,” he indicated.
In April, Von der Leyen already announced that she would not rule out cooperation with the Group of European Conservatives and Reformists, which also includes the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the far-right Brothers of Italy.
Scholz has defended that the European Commission should not rely on the extreme right for its next mandate. The head of the German Government declared himself at a press conference “very saddened by the ambiguity of some of the political statements heard recently” and added that his position is clear: “It will only be possible to establish a presidency of the Commission based on the traditional parties. (…) Anything else would be a mistake for the future of Europe.”
The president of the Commission has in any case ruled out collaborating with the extreme right of Identity and Democracy, which brings together Eurosceptic groups from central and northern Europe such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD), National Regrouping (France) or the League (Italy). .
Von der Leyen is the candidate of the European People’s Party (EPP) for a new five-year term as president of the European Commission. To do this, she needs the support of the simple majority of the European Parliament following the elections scheduled for June 6-9.
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