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 has Ursula Von Der Leyen’s strategic inclusion of the ECR group in her coalition impacted her ability to govern effectively and address the concerns of more traditionally aligned political groups?
## Interview: Ursula Von Der Leyen’s New Mandate
**Host**: Welcome back to the show. Today we’re discussing Ursula Von Der Leyen’s re-election as President of the European Commission. Joining us is Dr. [Name], a leading expert on European politics.
Dr. [Name], Von Der Leyen secured her second term in July. How has the political landscape shifted since then?
**Dr. [Name]:** The landscape has definitely changed. While Von Der Leyen was re-elected by a comfortable margin, the composition of her support base reflects a more fragmented European Parliament.
**Host**: We’ve seen some surprising developments, like the openness towards the ECR group, which includes parties like Fratelli d’Italia. How has this impacted Von Der Leyen’s strategy?
**Dr. [Name]:** You’re right, it’s a significant shift. recognizing the ECR’s influence, Von Der Leyen has strategically included them in her coalition, ensuring their support for key votes like today’s vote on the new college of commissioners.
**Host**: This strategy hasn’t been without its critics. Some within the Green and Socialist groups are hesitant about aligning with the ECR.
**Dr. [Name]:**
Precisely. The Greens, while partially included in Von Der Leyen’s new majority, are divided. Similarly, the Socialists are expressing concern about collaborating with the ECR, raising questions about the meaning of a “pro-European front”.
**Host**: Von Der Leyen seems to be walking a tightrope, balancing the support of diverse groups with sometimes opposing viewpoints.
**Dr. [Name]:** It’s a delicate balancing act. She’s trying to build a broad coalition while simultaneously addressing internal divisions within the supporting groups. It remains to be seen if this strategy will be sustainable in the long term.
**Host**: Now, the vote on the new college of commissioners is crucial for Von Der Leyen’s ability to govern effectively. What are the key takeaways from today’s vote?
**Dr. [Name]:** The outcome of today’s vote will reveal the stability of Von Der Leyen’s coalition and set the tone for her second term. Careful attention should be paid to the voting patterns within the Greens and Socialists, and whether the ECR’s support will be conditional on future policies.
**Host**:
Dr. [Name], thank you for sharing your valuable insights. We’ll be watching closely as the European Commission navigates this complex political landscape.
