Officially head of the European People's Party (EPP) list for the European elections, the current head of the commission has rejected post-election deals with groups whose members are “against the rule of law” and “friends of Putin”.
As previously known, the European People's Party (EPP) has announced that it has received only the nomination of Ursula van der Leyen for the post of President of the European Commission. The party is confident it will retain its majority in the European Parliament after elections scheduled for spring, so it will have no difficulty regaining the commission's presidency.
But German newspapers have reported that the balance of power could shift significantly – namely by the growth of parliamentarians representing the far right – which could pose some obstacles to the plan. Not in terms of the commission, of course, but of the various bodies within the group's administrative edifice – which has traditionally (for some, very undemocratically) been managed between conservatives and socialists.
Manfred Weber, head of the PPE, received only one nomination letter – from the German Christian Democrat party CDU – nominating the current head of the social administration to head the European party's list for reappointment. Report on the matter.
Van der Leyen's appointment must be confirmed at the EPP Congress in Bucharest on March 6 and 7, and will be joined by Luxembourger and European Employment Commissioner Nicola Schmidt. English summary) and it must be officially confirmed at the plenary meeting in Rome on March 1 and 2.
For now, only the European Greens formally have two list leaders, with a woman, Terri Reintke, and a man, Bas Eichhout, maintaining the tradition approved at the February 2nd Congress.
A number of key candidates emerged in the 2014 European elections, with the largest European parties presenting their preferences for the future president of the European Commission, with Luxembourger Jean-Claude Juncker winning an absolute majority of the vote.
In the 2019 referendum, an attempt was made to use this model again, following Van der Leyen's vote as President of the European Commission, but due to disagreements between political groups, these main candidates did not hold top European posts.
Following the popular decision, Von der Leyen said, “For me, it is important to work with European, NATO, pro-Ukraine groups that clearly support our democratic values. (…) You know, all European elections mean a change in the composition of different political parties and different political groups, so those who defend democracy against inclusivity and Euroscepticism and those who defend our values against Putin's friends… These are the people I want to work with and I can work with. I know that.
“A possible agreement is impossible with parties against the rule of law”, and “impossible with Vladimir Putin's party friends”. Asked specifically about the deal between the PPE and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, the candidate said after the election “there should be a very clear position from the politicians” in the group.
“Are they protecting democracy? Do they protect our values? Are they too committed to the rule of law? Do you support Ukraine? Are they fighting against Putin's attempt to weaken and divide Europe? And these answers should be very clear,” he said.
As the first female President of the European Commission, Ursula van der Leyen was approved by the European Parliament in November 2019, with 461 votes in favor, 157 votes against, and 89 abstentions.
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