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 does the inclusion of the ECR group, particularly Fratelli d’Italia, impact the ideological balance within the new European Commission?
## Interview with a Political Analyst on Ursula von der Leyen’s Re-election
**Host:** Welcome back to the program. Today we’re discussing the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission and the challenges she faces in forming a new Commission. Joining us is Dr. [Guest Name], a leading political analyst specializing in European politics. Dr. [Guest Name], thanks for being here.
**Guest:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected with a comfortable majority back in July, but as we see from the current reports, building a coalition for her new Commission seems to be quite a delicate task. Can you shed some light on the complexities involved?
**Guest:** You’re right, Dr. von der Leyen secure a strong majority for her re-election, but composing a stable and diverse Commission is proving to be a complex balancing act. The European political landscape has shifted significantly since the last election, and she’s facing some unique challenges.
**Host:** One notable change is the openness towards the ECR group, particularly with Fratelli d’Italia being part of it. This is unusual considering their ideological stance. How has this factor influenced the formation of the new Commission?
**Guest:** This is indeed a significant development. The ECR, with Fratelli d’Italia, has historically been a more Eurosceptic group. However, Dr Von der Leyen has strategically included them in her majority, aided by the appointment of Raffaele Fitto, who is affiliated with Fratelli d’Italia, as both Commissioner for thePnrr and Vice-President. This move highlights her attempts to build a broad coalition and shows a willingness to work with parties across the ideological spectrum.
**Host:** This unlikely alliance seems to have created some friction within other groups. We’ve seen some dissenting voices within the Socialist and Green parties regarding the inclusion of ECR.
**Guest:** Absolutely. There is internal debate within the Socialist and Green parties about the inclusion of ECR. socialists emphasize that the majority includes the Greens but expressly excludes the ECR, while the Greens themselves feel only partially included in the coalition.
**Host:** It seems Dr. Von der Leyen is navigating a very complex political landscape. What are the potential implications of these shifting alliances for the direction of the EU Commission?
**Guest:** This new dynamic could potentially lead to a more diverse and perhaps pragmatic approach to European policy-making. The inclusion of parties with varied viewpoints could lead to more compromise and negotiation in decision-making. However, it also risks exacerbating internal divisions if different factions struggle to find common ground on key issues.
**Host:** How do you see this playing out in the coming months? What are some key areas to watch for as the new Commission takes shape?
**Guest:** It will be crucial to observe how Dr. von der Leyen manages these competing interests.
The Commission’s stance on climate policy, particularly given the appointment of Philippe Lamberts as a special advisor on climate, will be closely watched by the Green party and environmental groups.
**Host:** Dr. [Guest Name], thank you so much for sharing your insights. It’s undoubtedly a fascinating and crucial period for the European Union.
**Guest:** You’re welcome. It will be interesting to see how this new political landscape unfolds.