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, i.e. 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 might the need to maintain a fragile coalition of diverse political factions impact the von der Leyen Commission’s agenda and legislative priorities?
## Interview with a Political Analyst about the Ursula von der Leyen Commission Vote
**Interviewer:** Welcome to the program. Today we discuss the upcoming vote on Ursula von der Leyen’s new Commission. She secured a comfortable win for a second term as president back in July, but the landscape within the European Parliament has shifted. Can you elaborate on the challenges she faces gaining support for her team of commissioners?
**Guest:** Absolutely. While von der Leyen’s personal win was decisive, building a majority for her entire Commission is proving trickier. The composition of the European Parliament has changed, with the rise of conservative and populist forces.
This is particularly evident in the support from the ECR group, which includes Fratelli d’Italia. Despite some reservations, they are expected to vote in favour largely due to the appointment of Raffaele Fitto as Commissioner for the Recovery and Resilience Facility, a key position for Italy. However, this support comes with conditions and could be withdrawn depending on future policy decisions.
**Interviewer:** The Greens are another key player. They’ve expressed mixed feelings about the Commission, but von der Leyen appears to have made some strategic moves to secure their support.
**Guest:** Yes, the Greens are internally divided. Von der Leyen’s appointment of Philippe Lamberts, a former Green MEP, as her climate advisor has secured the support of half the Green group. However, the Italian, Belgian and French delegations remain opposed. This highlights the complex balancing act von der Leyen is facing in navigating the diverse interests of different member states and political factions.
**Interviewer:** Looking ahead, what are the implications of these political dynamics for the von der Leyen Commission’s agenda?
**Guest:** The nature of this coalition, built on negotiated compromises and potentially fragile alliances, will likely lead to a more cautious and pragmatic approach. Von der Leyen will need to constantly manage competing interests and prioritize legislative proposals that can garner broad support. Expect to see strategic concessions and compromises to keep her diverse coalition intact.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for providing these valuable insights. This vote will certainly be closely watched as a barometer of the changing political landscape in the EU.
