Von der Leyen Faces Showdown in EU Leadership Race

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240606/power-play-von-der-leyen-faces-showdown-in-eu-leadership-race-1118810157.html

Energy Play: Von der Leyen Faces Showdown in EU Management Race

Energy Play: Von der Leyen Faces Showdown in EU Management Race

Sputnik Worldwide

The European Fee’s President Ursula don der Leyen could lose her job because of a greater displaying of non-systemic proper at elections

2024-06-06T14:10+0000

2024-06-06T14:10+0000

2024-06-06T14:10+0000

ursula von der leyen

european fee

charles michel

european council

rightwing get together

voters

european parliament

world

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On the eve of the Euroelections, Politico has printed a narrative headlined “Charles Michel plots a revenge towards Ursula von der Leyen.” The story attracted a number of consideration, for the reason that place of the European Fee’s president is essential. The president heads the entire govt department of energy contained in the EU. However that’s not all: solely the fee and its head can current draft legal guidelines for the vote within the European Parliament, which gave von der Leyen (VDL) some legislative leverage, too.Throughout her mandate, VDL made a number of controversial steps, which make her, too, a divisive candidate. These steps included: No surprise that information about von der Leyen having a strong enemy within the particular person of Michel, the top of the European Council, attracted consideration.Gilbert Doctorow a global relations and Russian affairs analyst accused VDL of “usurping” energy.Elections as a ChallengeSeveral European media shops have recalled that VDL turned the president of the European Fee in 2019 in an undemocratic method, with Michel’s European Council concerned. As Germany’s Der Spiegel reported, von der Leyen didn’t win an sincere vote within the newly elected European Parliament with many candidates working. As a substitute, her candidacy was “handpicked at a confidential assembly” of the European Council. An unelected establishment, the European Council is a physique that unites presidents and prime ministers of the EU’s member international locations.This time, von der Leyen, almost certainly, must undergo an actual election by way of the European Parliament, with out the European Council throwing its weight behind her candidacy.So, relying by itself calculations, Politico concludes in one other headline, “Von der Leyen wants 361 votes to maintain her job.” However this can be a tough problem. The European Parliament has 720 seats and VDL is helped by the truth that different candidates for her job are relative “unknowns”, proposed by single factions contained in the EP, and never by coalitions. The candidacy of Nicholas Schmit (Euro-commissioner, Luxemburg) was put ahead by the faction of Socialists and Democrats (S&D, 136 anticipated mandates). The candidacy of Walter Baier (European Left get together, Austria) was recommended by The Left faction (38 anticipated mandates).The European Folks’s Occasion (EPP), which recommended VDL’s candidacy within the first place, is predicted to get 170 mandates, in response to the forecast offered by Europe Elects, a public service group.That may be a lot compared with different candidates, however it isn’t sufficient to safe von der Leyen the place of the European Fee’s president. Politico notes, that even within the case of VDL getting not solely the help of EPP’s conservatives but additionally of the liberal Renew Europe and the mildly leftist S&D, which will nonetheless be not sufficient.Formally, that may give VDL 390 votes, which is excess of the minimal of 360. However, Politico notes, “it’s seemingly that one thing over 10 p.c of the lawmakers in every of those teams will both oppose von der Leyen or abstain on the massive day.”There are numerous methods during which von der Leyen antagonized the deputies from such events as Poland’s PiS (a member of the European Folks’s Occasion faction) or Viktor Orban’s maverick Fidesz Occasion. PiS was subjected to fixed stress and had fines imposed on all of Poland by the EU due to that get together’s presumed “rule of legislation” violations. Entire Polish areas have been hit by the EU’s sanctions. And Hungarian Fidesz was simply arbitrarily expelled from the VDL-loyal EPP’s faction due to Orban’s unbiased place on migration, household politics and relations with Russia.Torn Between Meloni, Le Pen and ‘Mainstream’ PartiesThe must woo MEPs and members of the European Council on the similar time will put VDL earlier than laborious decisions. For instance, VDL could wish to curry favor with Italy’s premier Georgia Meloni to be able to get her help in Meloni’s capability because the Italian prime minister and a member of the European Council. Nevertheless, Meloni’s get together Fratelli d’Italia is now making an attempt to kind a single faction within the European Parliament with France’s Nationwide Rally of Marine Le Pen and with Orban’s Fidesz. On the similar time, in response to experiences from The Guardian, VDL’s EPP is at loggerheads with Orban and Fidesz after EPP expelled Fidesz from its faction. And liberals and socialists don’t wish to help the president of EC who depends on the far proper, specifically, on Fratelli d’Italia and Le Pen’s Nationwide Rally, which S&D and liberal Renewal view as “extremist” and “pro-Russian.”So, VDL faces an uphill activity. She should on the similar time please Meloni and keep away from antagonizing the mainstream events – EPP, liberals and socialists. That shall be laborious to do, as many citizens see the choice, non-systemic proper wing as the one defender of their international locations’ sovereignty. Doctorow expects, for instance, Le Pen’s Nationwide Rally to be “the massive winner” of the approaching elections.Useless ExpectationsBut will the rise in voter help be translated into adjustments in coverage? Many of the choices on the EU stage are usually not taken by the European Parliament, however reasonably by the VDL’s fee. So fast change is to not be anticipated, stated the political analyst.“I’m uncertain that the elections will convey any important change in EU help for Ukraine. That can take a landslide victory by folks related minded to Le Pen, and there are usually not many such folks inside or exterior of the federal government elites,” Doctorow stated. “The identical could also be stated of the EU stand on protection, suicidal as it might be.”Sadly, the winner within the race for the fee’s chairmanship shall be decided not a lot by a voter as by political horse-trading after the brand new European Parliament is elected.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240222/von-der-leyens-foreign-policy-fails-to-undermine-russia-subordinates-europe-to-us-1116913571.html

2024

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european parliament elections, european council, eurosceptic meps, ousting of the fee’s president, ursula von der leyen

With the European Parliament (MEPs) elections happening on June 6-9, the probabilities of the European Fee’s head Ursula von der Leyen retaining her job are slimming. Rising non-systemic right-wing mobilization could increase Eurosceptic MEPs, difficult von der Leyen’s pro-American stance. Lack of help within the European Council provides to her woes.