Ane Barcos/Aquí Europa
Amid tensions between the main parliamentary groups following the blocking of the approval of the candidates for vice-presidents of the new Community Executive, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, announced on Thursday that the vote on the set of commissioners is scheduled for November 27.
“There is still time,” said Metsola, reiterating the Parliament’s commitment to have the new Commission in place as soon as possible. “This is our responsibility, and we take it very seriously, especially considering the current situation in the world,” stressed the President.
Chaos broke out after Tuesday’s hearings of the six candidates for the vice-presidency of the Community Executive, which ended without agreement and with threats of cross-vetoes. The lack of consensus was attributed to the blockade promoted by the European People’s Party (EPP) against the Spanish candidate Teresa Ribera.
Under pressure from the Spanish Popular Party, which questioned Ribera’s suitability for the post and criticised her handling of the recent floods in Valencia, the EPP refused to approve the Socialist candidate, which ended up affecting the other five candidates as well.
At the same time, the Social Democrats accuse the EPP of collaborating with far-right parties, weakening trust and questioning its reliability as a partner. This crisis has triggered a head-on confrontation between the EPP and the Social Democrats, putting at risk the pro-European coalition that has been a pillar of the Union for decades together with the liberals. “The first months of any legislature are always complicated,” Metsola acknowledged, “but the important thing is to work together.”
Faced with the current stalemate, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, decided to intervene, seeking to mediate between the Socialists, the Popular Party and the Liberals to unblock the process. On Wednesday, the European People’s Party showed its willingness to approve Ribera, on condition that she agree to resign if formally charged for her handling of the floods, and appear before Congress beforehand to clarify the facts.
The EPP agreement also included a condition for the Socialists: that they support the candidacies of the Italian ultra-conservative Raffaele Fitto and the Hungarian Oliver Varhelyi, both of whom hold far-right positions. Varhelyi, the only candidate for commissioner who is not seeking a vice-presidency, has not yet obtained the backing of Parliament.
