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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– What are the key political factions involved in the vote for Ursula von der Leyen’s new European Commission, and how are they positioned regarding her candidacy?
## Interview with Jessica Jones, Political Analyst
**Host:** We’re here today with Jessica Jones, a renowned political analyst, to discuss the upcoming vote for Ursula von der Leyen’s new European Commission. Jessica, thanks for joining us.
**Jessica:** Thanks for having me. It’s a fascinating time in European politics.
**Host:** Indeed. Ursula von der Leyen secured a second term back in July [[1](https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240718-eu-s-von-der-leyen-vows-to-fight-for-democratic-strong-europe-in-bid-for-second-term)]]. But this vote today for her new team of commissioners is shaping up to be quite complex.
**Jessica:** Absolutely. The political landscape has shifted since July. We see the ECR group,including Italy’s Brothers of Italy, showing openness towards supporting von der Leyen. This is significant because it represents a move beyond traditional party lines.
**Host:** And what about the Greens and Socialists?
**Jessica:** They are facing internal divisions. Von der Leyen made the strategic move of appointing Philippe Lamberts, a former Green leader, as a special advisor on climate, which appeased a portion of the Green MEPs. But it’s not a unanimous endorsement. Within the Socialist group, there’s also a split. While the leadership is backing von der Leyen, many members remain unconvinced due to the inclusion of Raffaele Fitto, a member of Brothers of Italy, as a Commissioner.
**Host:** So it seems the outcome is still very much in the balance today.
**Jessica:** That’s right. It will be interesting to see how these internal debates play out and whether von der Leyen can ultimately secure the majority she needs to move forward with her new commission. The vote will be a key indicator of the current political climate in Europe and the complex coalitions that are emerging.
