New European Commission to Start Despite Chaotic Political Dispute
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World
November 20, 2024 19:50
brussels - The new European Commission is set to start on December 1st after a chaotic political dispute between left and right-wing parties was resolved last week.
The dispute revolved around the approval of the top candidates for the new European Commission. The Social Democrats and part of the Liberals blocked the right-wing candidate Raffaele Fitto, who is from the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The left-wing of the European Parliament opposed giving an important position to someone from Fratelli d’Italia, as they consider this party 'far-right'.
The outcome of the European elections played a role in these emotions, with a shift towards the right by the voters. This has made the powerful Christian Democrats no longer dependent on the left for a majority. The Social Democrats fear for their longstanding dominant position in European decision-making.
The Christian Democrats retaliated by blocking the top candidate of the Social Democrats: Spanish Minister of Environment, Teresa Ribera. The Spanish Christian Democrats also hold her partially responsible for the natural disaster near Valencia.
The approval of the new European Commission requires support from a two-thirds majority. The centrist parties had been holding the arrival of a new executive power in Brussels hostage with their blocks.
To end the political maneuvering, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen skipped the climate summit in Baku. From a summit in Rio de Janeiro, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ultimately pressured the Spanish leader of the European Social Democrats to give the green light.
On Wednesday, the Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, and Liberals reached a sort of outline agreement, where they agreed to collaborate on nine themes, including economy, migration, and the rule of law. The deal does not exclude majorities leaning towards the right or left, as seen in the document obtained by De Telegraaf.
The European Christian Democrats separately issued a statement requesting Ribera to step down if there is criminal prosecution related to the Valencia disaster. The same statement in Spanish is more direct, demanding that she pack her bags in such a scenario. This statement is symbolic as the European Parliament cannot dismiss individual Euro commissioners.