The formation process of the new European Commission is at real risk due to the maneuvers of the Spanish Popular Party against Minister Teresa Ribera to cover up her regional management of the dana. The European socialists accuse the EPP (European People’s Party) of breaking the majority and aligning with the ultras in the votes on Ribera and of moving to break the pact to vote for the candidates for the community vice-presidencies, which were examined this Tuesday in Brussels .
“The EPP will have to explain to the citizens of Europe why it breaks the historic pro-European majority and if they really want to side with the far-right populists,” say MEPs from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) parliamentary group in a statement issued this week. Wednesday. “The future of Europe is in our hands. We are ready to assume our responsibility and act in the pro-European interest of the citizens who place their trust in us in the elections. It is up to the PPE to explain where they are.”
The social democrats also threaten whether the popular ones maintain their position of preventing the vote for the still third vice president of the Spanish Government as number two of the next community Executive, hiding behind explanations about what they demand of Ribera. “The vote on the next college of the European Commission is at stake today,” they emphasize. The initial forecast was that this block vote for the European vice presidents would take place this Wednesday.
After the harsh criticism of the Popular Party and the ultras in their hearing on Tuesday – Ribera aspires to a very high position in the EU as head of competition and green policies – the atmosphere between the three centrist and pro-European groups of the European Chamber (PPE, S&D and the Renew liberals) is tense. So much so that a total derailment cannot be ruled out.
The head of Renew in the European Parliament, Valerie Hayer, has warned that the negotiations are in danger of falling apart. “We denounce and regret the irresponsible actions of all political forces that do not contribute to a responsible and reliable solution,” he said this Wednesday in a brief appearance before the press in the European Parliament, in which he urged the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to act “to build bridges.”
The leaders of the three groups, together with Von der Leyen, according to parliamentary sources, to decide on the stormy steps to follow in the evaluation of Ribera and the six remaining candidates, who have yet to receive the green light from the parliamentary commissions. Conservatives are in favor of postponing the decision for several days.
Von der Leyen, who decided to appoint Ribera – chosen by the Spanish president Pedro Sánchez – as her number two and entrusted her with the vice presidency of the Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition and the powerful Competition portfolio, is getting fully involved to move forward. without major delays the new Executive. On the other hand, the Spanish Popular Party – supported by its European group: it is the second national party that contributes the most European parliamentarians, only behind Von der Leyen’s own German CDU – is moving hard to muddy the process, despite the fact that The president of the Commission herself is also part of her political family.
The German conservative maintains confidence in Ribera. “She is the one designated by the Spanish authorities to be commissioner,” said a spokesperson for the Community Executive. “The European Parliament has an audition process underway, and the president has given her confidence to Ribera and has appointed her as vice president,” he added while specifying that nothing has changed after the dana.
The three groups, which together with the Greens support the majority that approved Von der Leyen, have already agreed to postpone – until, at the earliest, this Wednesday – the evaluations (voting included) of the vice-presidential candidates who were examined this Tuesday in a hearing in Brussels so that this process could be done in the form of a package.
total war strategy
The Spanish Popular Party, who are trying to postpone Ribera’s evaluation until next Thursday, after the third vice president and Minister of Ecological Transition appears (at her own request) in Congress on dana, are launching in Brussels that it may reach be accused in a judicial process for the management of the dana. His EPP colleagues have picked up the gauntlet.
The strategy is total war against Ribera to cover up the management of the PP Government in the Valencian Community, leave it affected and that this has an impact on the central Government. And, for now, his fellow European conservatives, led by the German Manfred Weber, have joined the game. The EPP aspires to gain power in Europe if the popular Spaniards advance in Spain.
In parallel, Von der Leyen moves to prevent everything from collapsing and to resolve it as soon as possible, despite the tensions and political games. If it derails, the early formation of the Commission could be jeopardized. And the German conservative wants the Community Executive to start rolling on December 1. With a world on fire, Russia’s war against Ukraine, Donald Trump’s victory and the prospect of a tariff escalation against the EU and the crisis in Germany, where , there is a rush to accelerate.
If the votes are delayed until next week, there would still be time for the plenary session of the European Parliament to rule on the entire Commission at its last plenary session in November. However, it would be a bad start, a blow to Von der Leyen and a very representative precedent that European institutions can be used to make national policy.
