FdI: “No to Ursula von der Leyen”. Fidanza, Meloni’s man in the EU, speaks

“I don’t see the conditions for a vote in favor of Ursula, nor of ECR ​​nor of the 24 MEPs of FdI”

While Ursula Von der Leyen continues her hunt for the votes needed for her reconfirmation, the British Labour Party has achieved a historic victory and Viktor Orbán flies to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putinthe European Conservatives of ECR ​​have just concluded a three-day study in Brucoli (SR) and, at yesterday evening’s deadline for the constitution of the European Parliamentary Groups, they confirmed their third place behind the Populars and Socialists. A step that Charles Fidanzahead of the Brothers of Italy delegation in Brussels, summarises this when interviewed by Affaritaliani.it: “An important confirmation, which gives us further incentive to continue on the path of strengthening the conservatives”.

With the Polish PiS, but without Orban who on Monday will give life to the new group of Patriots, which could even surpass you in numbers. An additional problem for FdI? “Absolutely not. With Orbán we have many things on which we think alike but also different sensibilities on some issues, starting from Ukraine.. There would have been no point in forcing it. As for PiS, in the end politics has its rules and it was right that they remained in the ECR”.

How do these movements affect your attitude towards Von der Leyen? “There are two different aspects. Giorgia Meloni will negotiate the best possible role for the Italian Commissioner. In terms of parliamentary support, I continue to say that at the moment I don’t see the conditions for a vote in favor of Ursulaneither of ECR ​​nor of the 24 MEPs of FdI. There is no open negotiation, there is no programmatic document, it is not yet clear what he wants to do with the Greens…”.

Could you abstain? “Having to reach an absolute majority of 720 MEPs, abstention is equivalent to a vote against and would not make much sense. Whatever we choose to do will be out in the open”. And do the different positions within the government majority, with Tajani in favor of VdL and Salvini strongly opposed, not risk weakening the negotiations? “No, they are known and expected positions”.

The day after the British elections, with the defeat of SunakMeloni loses an ally? “The relationship between the two has been really excellent in these years. Unfortunately it was a defeat more than announced, caused by the errors and difficulties of these years. The data that emerges is that the Labour win but without increasing their votes and that the Tories lose votes to abstention and to Farage’s right. A lesson to be taken into account”.