European Parliament Liberals have joined Socialists in threatening to abandon European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she looks to secure support from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The Parliament’s Renew group President, Valérie Hayer, warned that she would not back von der Leyen’s bid for a second term as EC chief if she co-operated with the hard-right.
“If it were to be Ursula von de Leyen again at the head of the Commission, I told the EPP [European People’s Party] President that it is out of the question for me to sit at the negotiating table for political agreements with ID [Identity and Democracy] and ECR [European Conservatives and Reformists],” she said on May 28.
“I’m not going into negotiations with people who trample on the rule of law,” she added.
“Political agreements with Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right are not an option.”
Hayer said she feared that the hard-right may be able to mobilise what she called a “blocking minority” that could undermine the work of the European Union.
“Supporting Europe is to fight the hard-right,” she insisted.
Ursula von der Leyen looks increasingly likely to fall short of majority support in the European Parliament for her re-appointment. https://t.co/QR6YtotPzf
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 13, 2024
As part of her bid to secure a majority in the European Parliament, the EC President has opened the door to the ECR in the past couple of weeks – marking a shift in her stance on Europe.
Hard-right parties have been largely kept out of powerful EU institutions and many MEPs fear that a second term for von der Leyen may start to reverse that.
On April 29, the EC leader hinted at potential collaboration between her EPP and the ECR group.
On May 24, von der Leyen reaffirmed that she was ready to co-operate with “certain” national delegations.
Pressure is growing on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with a growing number of former backers willing to express dissatisfaction with her work over the past five years. @moritzkoerner @Rob_Roos @NicolasBay_ https://t.co/IJelI4DxgF
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 24, 2024
As political dynamics seem likely to evolve in the EU, with a potential surge in influence for the hard-right in the European Parliament, von der Leyen’s political strategy regarding her future alliances in the EP has caused alarm among her current allies.
As it stands, she is facing increasing opposition from many sides, including from those she is currently courting. Speaking to Brussels Signal on April 30, Nicolas Bay, a member of the ECR, stated he would “do anything to prevent” von der Leyen from securing a second term.
The Green bloc in the parliament has also threatened to withdraw support for von der Leyen.
