A right-wing brother from Italy, a left-wing activist from Spain: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has to make compromises in the EU Commission.
Brussels – There are wonderful pictures of Teresa Ribera, they show a passionate environmental politician. At the summit of EU environment ministers in Valladolid last July, the Spanish hostess arrived on a rented bicycle with her hair flowing, in front of the cameras, a signal of renunciation, of honest commitment to combating climate change, of the transport transition. Well, at least until the truth came out a little later: Ribera had got out of her heavy convoy of cars 100 meters in front of the cameras, just out of sight. The cars followed at walking pace. Oh yes, and the minister traveled the 188 kilometers from Madrid on a special flight, it was later reported.
The hypocritical self-dramatization, something that is said to happen quite often in politics, briefly caused international ridicule. But Ribera’s career continues to soar. In the spring, she was nominated as the top candidate of the Spanish Socialists for the 2024 European elections. And now she is set to become one of the most powerful women in Europe. The 54-year-old has been nominated by Spain as an EU Commissioner. She is even set to become “executive vice president”, responsible for the “social and ecological transition”.
Left-wing EU Commissioner meets conservative Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels
Now there is a threat of a dispute, and a big one at that. Ribera is considered a radical advocate of an ecological restructuring of the economy. She wants to push through the controversial “Green Deal” from the last legislative period. Ribera believes that slowing down the pace, as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) promised under pressure from the conservatives, would be “a huge mistake – there is no time to lose”. “Much more needs to be done.”
At least within her own EPP party family, von der Leyen is determined to defuse the economy-changing “Green Deal”: no ban on combustion engines, fewer requirements for agriculture and industry, new calculation of emissions trading. Ribera will definitely not support this. Is she the wrong person?
Big problems for EU Commission President von der Leyen
Von der Leyen is faced with a problem that is difficult to solve. She does not have a free hand when it comes to personnel. Each country proposes a commissioner, and she can only appeal. And point out that each candidate must also find a majority in the EU Parliament. As a result, the composition of the Commission promised for Wednesday will be very politically diverse and will also miss the goal of parity between men and women. So far, the states have nominated 17 men for 27 posts, including Magnus Brugger (Austria), Thierry Breton (France) and Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia).
Behind the scenes, it is said that von der Leyen is working to limit Ribera’s real responsibilities as much as possible. Other commissioners, such as those for the economy, industry and competition, are supposed to keep them in check. In addition, every party family (conservatives, liberals, socialists) wants prominent positions and has to swallow unpopular personalities to do so. There is trouble not only on the left flank of Ribera – there is also trouble on the right.
Italy sends right-winger Fitto to the EU Commission
Italy has nominated European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto as commissioner, and he too wants to be given the special title of executive vice president. Fitto is to be responsible for the economy and Corona reconstruction aid. There is grumbling because Italy is by far the biggest beneficiary of the multi-billion euro reconstruction fund, and is hoping for up to 200 billion from Brussels, but some projects are still lagging behind. In addition, Fitto belongs to the ultra-right party “Fratelli d’Italia”.
The Liberals and the Greens are against this, as are parts
of the Social Democrats. Proposing a Fratelli man “as part of the Commission’s leadership would deliberately undermine the pro-European, democratic alliance from July,” said Green parliamentary group leader Terry Reintke to the “FAZ”. Von der Leyen was elected on the condition that she would not work with radical right-wingers.
Which is not necessarily true of Fitto. He is described in Brussels and Rome as moderate, staunchly pro-European, serious and hardworking. In his younger years as a regional politician in Apulia he was a Christian Democrat. He has a clear supporter in EPP leader Manfred Weber. Fitto is a “bourgeois conservative who, not least, stands for economic common sense,” Weber told our newspaper. “The next Commission will benefit from his expertise.” The CSU politician also refers to the stricter immigration policy: Italy has “reduced the number of arriving migrants by 64 percent in cooperation with the EU.”
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