In view of the elections to the European Parliament, the member of the European People’s Party is a candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission and is the current President of the institution. There are several far-right groups within the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).
The candidate of European People’s Party President of the European Commission and the current President of this institution, Ursula von der Leyenleft the door open on Monday to collaborate with the European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR), the group that brings together Vox, Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy or the Poles of Law and Justice, in the next legislature.
“It will depend on the composition of the European Parliament and who is in each group,” Von der Leyen responded to a direct question from the Green candidate: Bas Eickhoutduring the first debate prior to the elections for the European Parliament between eight representatives of European political parties.
The Social Democratic candidate Nicholas Schmitcurrent Commissioner for Employment, also responded to Von der Leyen about the possibility of reaching an agreement with the Vox group after the elections: “Your response leaves me a little surprised. It’s strange because values and rights are not divisible according to certain organizations.” “Either you work with them because you need them, or you say clearly that an agreement is not possible because they do not respect the rights for which our Commission has fought.
ECR, not represented in the debate, is one of the two groups in the European Parliament that welcomes this extreme right parties; The other is Identity and Democracy, which brings together Alternative for Germany, Marine le Pen’s National Group and the Italian League, with whom Von der Leyen has refused to enter into a coalition after the elections.
The environmental candidate’s question was symbolic within a debate in which Von der Leyen was the only one of the eight participants real options to chair the European Commission. This was questioned by both left and right, as well as by the two moderators of the event organized by the European information medium “Politico” and the University of Maastricht (Netherlands).
Source: EITB
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