Von der Leyen immediately wanted to clarify that in the negotiations we will start from the PSE and "by the great European families who collaborated well” but who will also leave “the doors open"
By Emanuela Ricci
The coalition headed by the outgoing EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen won and in some ways also convinced. However, we will have to be very careful because the alliances that will be born in the name of moderation will still have to deal with the reality of the sovereignist right which, with Le Pen and Meloni, constitute the backbone of the new European Parliament with millions of votes .
Von der Leyen and Manfred Weber have already declared that the negotiations will start between Socialists and Liberals, trying to keep Giorgia Meloni out of the game who, according to them, should never, ever be part of the new coalition.
However, even if the dialogue between the EPP and Le Pen (leader of the Rassemblement) was never conceivable, the one with Meloni could be among the feasible hypotheses, given the excellent relations between the head of the Italian government and Von der Lyen. However, the EU commissioner will not be able to immediately open up to the Melonian right wing so as not to risk losing important votes (or part of them) of S&D and Renew. It is no coincidence that the European Socialist Party has already taken action: “If the EPP negotiates with the Conservatives and Reformists we won't be there”.
"No agreement with Meloni, with PiS, with Reconquete. It's the far right and we want to preserve the cordon sanitaire“, the group leader of Renew, Valerie Hayer, was succinct. Both EPP partners are certain that the Ursula majority must be achieved, first and foremost, with the Popolari. The EPP is determined to respect the outcome of the vote without necessarily having to compromise with part of the sovereignists, the reference is clear and clear to Von der Lyen's not so hidden sympathies towards the leader of the Brothers of Italy.
It will begin on June 17 with the informal dinner of the 27. The negotiators will be Donald Tusk and Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the EPP, Pedro Sanchez and Olaf Scholz for the Socialists. In fact, the talks have already begun. The first informal meetings of the groups are expected in Brussels. On the sidelines of the G7, European leaders will almost certainly talk about top jobs.
Von der Leyen immediately wanted to clarify that in the negotiations we will start from the PSE and "by the great European families who collaborated well” but who will also leave “the doors open".
The leaders of the EPP have already spoken about it remotely where an opening towards the Greens seems plausible even if part of the EPP would gladly do without it. The Greens are pro-Ukraine and strong supporters of policies to protect the Green Deal, which are, as is well known, particularly opposed by the right. Ursula's majority, without the Greens, is 400 seats, 40 more than the 360 required. The leader of Forza Italia Antonio Tajani, in the meantime, calls for pride: "it's still too early to talk about Ursula's encore."
On Wednesday, Le Pen and Matteo Salvini, in Brussels, will decide whether to reopen the door to the AfD and will take stock of the prospects of the ID group, which emerged stronger, as did the ECR. The hypothesis of the single group is therefore not precluded because the Hungarian Viktor Orban, among others, would support it with conviction. A situation that would place Meloni on the opposite side to that of Von der Lyen, thus undermining the excellent relationships established over the last few years. We will see!!!
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