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 main points of contention within the Green Party regarding their support for Ursula von der Leyen’s new commission?
## Interview with EU Politics Expert on Ursula von der Leyen’s Re-election
**Host:** Today we’re joined by Dr. [Guest Name], a leading expert on European Union politics, to discuss the upcoming vote on Ursula von der Leyen’s new College of Commissioners. Dr. [Guest Name], thanks for joining us.
**Guest:** It’s a pleasure to be here.
**Host:** Ursula von der Leyen secured re-election as EU Commission President in July. What are the biggest challenges she faces as she assembles her new team?
**Guest:** Von der Leyen is navigating a politically complex landscape. While she secured a strong majority in the initial vote, she needs to maintain that support for her proposed team of commissioners. This means securing agreement from a diverse range of political groups, including the Greens, Socialists, Liberals, EPP and even the ECR, which includes Italy’s Brothers of Italy party.
**Host:** Interestingly, Brothers of Italy will be voting in support of von der Leyen’s new team despite initial reservations. How significantly has the European political landscape shifted since the initial election?
**Guest:** [Guest Name] There has been a noticeable shift towards openness towards the ECR group. This is largely due to the inclusion of Raffaele Fitto, a member of Brothers of Italy, as both Commissioner for the Recovery and Resilience Plan and Vice-President of the Commission. This appointment has secured the support of Brothers of Italy for the time being.
**Host:** Your knowledge of the intricacies within the different political groups is remarkable. Could you explain the internal struggles within the Greens and Socialists regarding their support for the new Commission?
**Guest:** The Greens are divided. While some, especially the German and Dutch delegations, feel represented by the appointment of former Green leader Philippe Lamberts as special advisor on climate, others, particularly the Italian, Belgian and French delegations, remain unconvinced and will vote against the new Commission. The Socialists also face internal division. While the Spanish delegation, led by Iratxe García Pérez, supports the Commission to avoid further fragmentation, other Southern European delegations are divided between abstention and voting against, primarily due to their apprehension towards Fitto’s presence.
**Host:** It seems von der Leyen has a delicate balancing act ahead. How crucial will the vote today be for her mandate, and what are the potential ramifications of a defeat or close call?
**Guest:** This vote is incredibly important for Ursula von der Leyen’s authority and the stability of the Commission. A strong vote of confidence today will solidify her position and allow her to move forward with her agenda. Conversely, a defeat or close vote would significantly weaken her position and potentially lead to political instability within the EU.
**Host:**
Thank you, Dr. [Guest Name], for providing such insightful analysis on this crucial moment in European politics. We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely.
