European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has clarified her intentions to cooperate with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia during a debate between the frontrunners in the European elections.
A coalition between the European People’s Party (EPP) and Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia is a certain option, believes the President of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen, said Thursday during the Eurovision debate of the main heads of the European list, that the Italian Prime Minister fulfilled at least two criteria for her future partners: she is pro-EU, against the Russian Vladimir Putin and for the rule of law.
The EPP is the only mainstream party not to have signed a declaration pledging not to cooperate with far-right forces such as the European Conservatives and Reformists (CRE) and the Identity and Democracy (ID) group – which could become the third force of the next European Parliament. Neither group was represented during the debate organized this Thursday in the hemicycle of the European Parliament. Absent, they nevertheless animated the discussions between the main candidates this Thursday afternoon
The CRE group currently includes parties like Vox in Spain, Reconquest in France and Fratelli d’Italia in Italy, while the ID group includes Matteo Salvini’s Lega and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and, until recently, the party German AfD which will be excluded.
During Thursday’s debate, the four main candidates representing the Radical Left, the Greens, the Liberals and Renew Europe, and the Social Democrats (S&D) criticized Ursula von der Leyen for his hand extended to the extreme right.
“I do not consider CRE and ID as democratic forces (because) they have a different vision of Europe”insisted Luxembourg socialist Nicholas Schmit, also a candidate for president of the European Commission.
The outgoing commissioner assures that he will never work with the far right and asked Ursula von der Leyen what being pro-European meant to her. “(Meloni’s) idea of Europe is not the same as yours”he added.
“They (far-right parties) are absolutely against Europe, they want to dismantle Europe from within,” insisted Sandro Gozi, from Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party.
The EPP candidate made it clear that she did not intend to ally with the entire CRE group, but only with those parties that meet the three criteria, even if she and Giorgia Meloni do not share the same views on issues such as LGBTQI rights, she said.
The five candidates addressed topics ranging from the economy to defense, including immigration and climate, in what constituted the latest clash between the parties before voters go to the polls June 6-9.
Here are some of the key moments that marked the debate
Expel Dutch liberal party VVD “now”, asked Green candidate Terry Reintke. Questioned insistently, Sandro Gozi admitted that the decision of the VVD party, member of Renew Europe, to enter into a government coalition with the far-right party of Geert Wilders was a “big mistake”.
“In this parliament, we will always say no to an alliance with the extreme right”he commented, emphasizing that there was still no government in the Netherlands and that his group was now focusing on the European elections.
Earlier this week, the president of her party, French MEP Valérie Hayer, announced that the group would vote on the expulsion of the Dutch party VVDbut only after the elections, June 10.
Environmentalist Terry Reintke recalled the experience of his native Germany in the 1930s to warn of the dangers of a shift to the far right, as polls predict.
“We must send a very clear signal now”insisted the head of the Green list, warning the other candidates not to deal with the populists.
EU needs more ‘own resources’ to finance defense (Ursula von der Leyen)
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU supported Kyiv financially and militarily, while pledging to invest more in industry and national defense capabilities.
But the parties (and member states) have divergent approaches.
Sandro Gozi argued for strengthening defense through common ties, while Germany’s Terry Reintke spoke of a European defense fund.
Ursula von der Leyen stressed that there were only two ways to finance the expansion of the Union’s defense industry: contributions from Member States or new EU funding. She declared herself more inclined to support the second solution.
“I think it is time to talk about own resources for the European level. We cannot entrust tasks to the European level without financing them,” explained the EPP candidate to her own succession.
The outgoing President of the Commission also recalled the idea of the Greek Prime Minister toan air defense shield for Europe as part of the need to accelerate efforts to improve the Union’s defense and security capabilities.
“We must ensure that the fragmentation we experience in the EU stops, that we have common European projects”she clarified.
For Terry Reintke, the EU must also reform its voting rules within the Council of the EU in order to avoid a single member state derailing foreign policy decisions, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did with the sanctions packages against Russia.
“We cannot give people like Viktor Orbán a veto over our security,” insisted the environmentalist MEP.
The dignity of European citizens, fighting the far right
In the latest Eurobarometer, two of the three main Citizens’ concerns were the fight against poverty and the creation of new jobs. However, social issues were relegated to the background in the debate compared to defence, foreign affairs and security.
The socialist Nicolas Schmit, current European Commissioner for Employment, insisted on the need to invest in people, improve working conditions, guarantee a decent standard of living, reduce poverty and guarantee equal opportunities for all.
The Luxembourger was supported by the leader of the left, Walter Baier, who began his speech by recalling the need to talk about real life problems during the debate.
According to him, the roots of the rise of the far right are social.
“If we do not give people a dignified life, decent housing and secure jobs, we will not be able to defeat the far right in Europe”underlined Walter Baier, head of the Left list.