The approval of the new European Commission in Brussels is at an impasse due to the stalled negotiations between the groups in the European Parliament. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attempted mediation on Wednesday, but so far in vain.
The political tension led to the decision to postpone votes on the approval of the new Commission. This has serious consequences, as the current European Commission will soon see its mandate expire.
The confrontation is apparently mainly about the (re)appointment of the Hungarian candidate commissioner Oliver Varhely, and about the vice-presidency of the Italian candidate Fitto. He is seen as a candidate of the political group of the ECR-Conservatives. Várhelyi, proposed by the pro-Russian Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, is facing strong opposition from MEPs.
Christian Democratic EPP party leader Manfred Weber is pushing to approve the Hungarian candidate. However, this is meeting with considerable resistance from the Social Democratic S&D and the liberal Renew group. The EPP has therefore called into question the imminent approval of a Spanish candidate approved by the S&D.
SD group leader Iratxe García accused the EPP of holding the European Union hostage by holding on to the controversial Hungarian candidate. According to her, this threatens to undermine the legitimacy and functioning of the new Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen (EPP). “The EPP is putting the credibility of the EU at stake for political interests,” García said.
In the background, the EPP voted on amendments in the European Parliament on Thursday to further delay the introduction of the European Deforestation Act and to further weaken its content. In doing so, the EPP reneged on previous agreements with S&D and Renew on a technical, non-substantive one-year delay. The EPP obtained the weakenings with the support of conservative, nationalist and far-right groups, the 'right-wing majority in the EU'.
Earlier, Ursula von der Leyen said at her re-election that she would not govern 'on the Right'. But her wish list does include the controversial Hungarian candidate, and the EPP group leader in the European Parliament does business with the right wing.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing about the impact of this political stalemate on the functioning of the European Union. Analysts warn that prolonged delays could hamper decision-making and implementation of key EU policies. “If the political stalemate continues, it could seriously damage the credibility of the EU at home and abroad,” experts say.