The social democrat S&D group in the European Parliament is ready to blow up the formation process of the new EU Commission after the centrist European People’s Party (EPP) failed to convince them to approve the only two national conservative Commissioner candidates on President-elect Ursula von der Leyen’s roster.
S&D sources close to the negotiations told Euractiv that the socialists will reject both Italy’s Raffaele Fitto, the would-be Commission Vice President for Cohesion and Reforms, and Hungary’s Olivér Várhelyi, the Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare.
The source indicated that the Parliament’s second largest group has made up its mind regardless of the fact that it could delay the beginning of the new EU administration, possibly even until next year. And, according to them, all the blame is on EPP leader Manfred Weber.
“If the stability of the European project, and the future European Commission, is in danger today, it holds one person responsible, … EPP and Manfred Weber,” the anonymous source said.
Under pressure from von der Leyen, the EPP has been trying to appease the left wing of the Parliament for weeks in order to get them to approve the new Commission as soon as possible.
As we wrote before, the EPP likely offered a deal to the S&D: they would back the controversial Spanish socialist Teresa Ribera’s vice presidency in exchange for the Left throwing support behind Fitto and Várhelyi, and would even agree to further limit the scope of the latter’s portfolio.
During his confirmation hearing, Várhelyi was accused of wanting to roll back women’s so-called “reproductive rights” simply because was nominated by Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán—regardless of the fact that abortion laws are not even part of the EU’s competencies.
According to the insider source, however, S&D decided to reject Várhelyi even if the entire ‘health’ part of his portfolio was taken away, demonstrating that abortion was never a real issue for them.
Fitto’s apparent sin, on the other hand, was that he came from what leftist MEPs called a “neo-fascist” party (Italy’s ruling FdI) and that his election as executive VP would legitimize the “extreme right” across Europe.
To make Fitto’s approval easier, the EPP proposed that all six VPs should be approved as one “package,” but the socialists now refuse to continue negotiating under this premise and argue that vice presidential posts should only go to parties within the so-called Ursula coalition: EPP, S&D and the liberal Renew. “There is no room for negotiations beyond the agreement between the three political families,” the source said.
The liberals, however, have found surprising wisdom in the end and called for both sides to return to the negotiation table. “We denounce and regret the irresponsible acting of all political forces not contributing to a responsible and valuable and real liable solution,” Renew leader Valerie Hayer said, warning of long-term “ungovernability” if the relationship between the two largest parties breaks down completely.
