Energy and environment files on the campaign trail

It is often argued that EU policy debates are detached from the everyday lives of European citizens and that European Parliament elections are fought on national and local issues. But the 2024 election campaigns were different.

Several EU energy and environment policy files made their way to debates, speeches, and election fliers across the bloc.

France: European electricity market  

European electricity market rules were a key issue in the French campaign. Both far-left and -right parties cited them as the main cause of the explosion of electricity prices – knowing that the cost of living is voters’ main concern. 

Following high inflation in recent months, the Rassemblement national (RN, ID) lead candidate Jordan Bardella has led on the subject, forcing other candidates to respond.  

According to Bardella, we need to “put an end to the electricity market”, which means that it is necessary to “change the pricing rules”. “We’re not going to cut the cables,” Bardella joked, not satisfied with the additional safeguards added by the recently adopted market reform 

From TV to radio, Bardella took it upon himself, not without difficulty, to explain the technical “merit order” principle. This abstract rule links electricity prices to the production cost of the most expensive power station activated, meant that French people’s power bills were far higher than the average cost of French electricity. 

Rarely do candidates in a national election set out their vision on this type of technical subject. Faced with attacks from the far-left and -right, the liberal and socialist candidates have had a hard time defending the power market, and at times fell back on shaky rhetorical arguments.  

Germany: Internal combustion engine

In Germany, the heartland of Europe’s car industry, the most controversial issue was the future of the internal combustion engine. 

The EU has adopted a de-facto ban on new diesel and petrol cars from 2035, and conservatives and liberals blamed each other for the new rules. Both parties officially oppose the policy, which they consider not to be in line with the principle of ‘technology openness’.  

Conservative CDU/CSU (EPP) parties therefore committed to “abolish” the policy in their national election manifesto, a call which however did not make it into the EU-wide manifesto of their EPP group.

Liberal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP/Renew) in turn blamed the conservatives for playing a “double cross”, as the policy had been proposed under the watch of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a CDU member. 

“In the European election campaign, the CDU is promising the opposite of what it did in the last legislature. I have no sympathy for that,” Wissing told Euractiv. Before agreeing to the EU policy in 2023, Wissing had insisted on an exception in the new rules for cars running exclusively on carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, known as e-fuels. 

CDU politicians, meanwhile, blamed the liberal minister for not keeping his promise, arguing that the agreement struck on ‘e-fuel-only’ cars was  “not worth the paper it is printed on” as it has not yet been implemented. 

For their part, the Greens and Social Democrats defended the 2035 phase-out, arguing that it would provide clarity and planning security for carmakers. 

Everywhere: Environmental protection

Environmental protection – and its impact on agriculture – was one of the dominant campaign topics across Europe. Regular farmer protests – and the accompanying dramatic photos – ensured that the issue remained a constant talking point in the run up to elections.

This was in spite of a watering down, freezing, or withdrawal of several Green Deal environmental protection files, and additional concessions to farmers at a national level, before the election campaigns began.

However the framing of the issue in terms of ‘people versus nature’ resonated with many farmers, who have struggled in recent years with rising costs but lower food prices.

Along with environmental NGOs, left and green politicians counter that environmental protection is in the long-term interest of farmers and that the structure of the food production industry is to blame for farmers’ living conditions.

However the Green party, while not conceding on the importance of nature protection, has focused their campaign on other priorities, such as combating the far right and a green industrial strategy.

The latest polling continues to predict a boost in seats for right of centre candidates, and particularly hard- and far-right parties, who have been most vocal in opposing environmental protection measures.

[Edited by Donagh Cagney/Zoran Radosavljevic]

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