Today Ursula von der Leyen goes to the count in Strasbourg with a fateful number in her head: 401. These are the votes with which she was re-elected president of the European Commission on 18 July last, by secret ballot. Its new college of commissioners will be voted on in plenary, by simple majority and by open vote. However, the European political landscape has undergone significant changes in recent months. One of the most important was the openness towards the ECR group, the European Conservatives and Reformists, of which Fratelli d’Italia is part, which will vote in its support since Fitto is both commissioner of the Pnrr and vice-president.
The president of the EU Commission has confidence and manages to include greens, socialists, liberals, EPP and ECR in her new majority. The Socialists are clear in declaring that the majority includes the Greens but not ECR. The Greens feel included in the coalition, but only partially. The EPP, then, through its group leader Manfred Weber, speaks of a European majority that goes “from the Greens to the ECR”, specifying that the pro-European front includes only a part of the ECR, or Brothers of Italy. In reality, Giorgia Meloni’s party will give its vote to today’s package, reserving the right to give its support in the future depending on the measures that will be launched by the new Commission.
Von der Leyen’s other strategic move concerns the greens: he has in fact appointed former group leader Philippe Lamberts as special advisor on climate. At that point, half of the Green group, around twenty MEPs led by the German and Dutch delegations, chose to support the new Commission. The Italian, Belgian and French delegations instead opt for no. Difficult situation even among socialists. The group, led by the Spanish Iratxe García Pérez, decided to support the new Commission, taking a step back from the no to Raffaele Fitto, who many of them had described as an “exponent of a post-fascist force”. The Italian and Spanish delegations lead the yes front for von der Leyen, while the Germans, French and Belgians are divided between abstentions and votes against.
In Italy, meanwhile, the Democratic Party’s protests over the nomination of Raffaele Fitto as executive vice president have dissolved into a soap bubble. “Italians understand that having an executive vice president of the European Commission, a role never held before by Italy, with strategic delegations, is a great opportunity and reflects Italy’s role in Europe”, said Giorgia Meloni. According to breaking news reported by Ansa, however, the German SPD has decided to abstain. “For the first time in the history of EU institutions, a representative of a post-fascist party is about to obtain a leadership position. This was only possible because the President of the Commission proposed Raffaele Fitto to the prominent position of Vice-President of the Commission, even if the family of his party, that is Ecr, did not vote for his nomination”, wrote the SPD delegation to the European Chamber, MEP Rene Repasi, in a note.
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How effective has Ursula von der Leyen’s outreach to the Greens, specifically the appointment of Phillippe Lamberts as her advisor on climate, been in securing their support?
## Interview with a European Politics Analyst on Ursula Von Der Leyen’s New Commission
**Host:** Today we have with us, [Guest Name], a leading expert on European politics, to discuss the upcoming vote in Strasbourg for Ursula Von Der Leyen’s new college of Commissioners. Ursula Von Der Leyen faces a complex political landscape after her re-election as President of the European Commission. [Guest Name], what can you tell us about the challenges she faces in securing a majority for her proposed team?
**Guest:**
Well, the situation is quite fascinating. Von Der Leyen has secured a solid backing from the majority of major parties, namely the EPP, Renew Europe, and the Socialists and Democrats. However, the inclusion of the ECR group, particularly with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party Fratelli d’Italia being a part of it, has stirred up controversy.
While Von Der Leyen has managed to secure the ECR’s vote through the appointment of Raffaele Fitto as Commissioner for the Recovery and Resilience Fund and Vice President of the commission, some Socialist and Green party members are critical of this move.
There seems to be a clear division within the ranks of the Greens, with half of the group, led by the German and Dutch delegations, supporting the new Commission while the Italian, Belgian and French delegations have opted against.
Similarly, the Socialists, while ultimately supporting Von Der Leyen, have expressed reservations about including the ECR in the European majority. It highlights the complex reality of碎片化 parliamentary politics within the EU.
**Host:**
Interesting. So Von Der Leyen’s strategic moves have created both support and opposition within the European Parliament. What about her outreach towards the Greens? What impact has the appointment of Philippe Lamberts as her special advisor on climate had?
**Guest:**
That’s a crucial point. By appointing Philippe Lamberts as special advisor on climate, Von Der Leyen aimed to appease the Greens. It seems to have partially succeeded, as the German and Dutch Green MEPs have confirmed their support for her new Commission. However, the Italian, Belgian and French delegations remain unconvinced, demonstrating the complexities of reaching consensus on climate policy, even within a single party group.
**Host:**
This debate revealing inherent divisions within political groups within the European Parliament. How do you see von der Leyen navigating these challenges in the coming months?
**Guest:**
It will be a delicate balancing act. Von Der Leyen will need to continue building bridges with parties like the Greens while reassuring her broader coalition partners. Her success hinges on her ability to deliver tangible results on key issues like climate change, economic recovery, and migration. Otherwise, she risks facing increasing opposition and instability within her own commission.
**Host:**
Thank you for your insightful analysis, [Guest Name]. It seems we are in for an interesting period in European politics.