Italy’s Tajani says von der Leyen will be ‘forced’ to deal with ECR

The coalition behind Ursula von der Leyen will reach an agreement with the European Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR) in the European Parliament as it is the only way for her to secure a second mandate, said Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, vice-president of the same EU political group as von der Leyen, the European People’s Party (EPP).

In an interview with Corriere della Sera on Monday, Tajani, who leads Italy’s Forza Italia party and has been vice-president of the EPP for 22 years, expressed his confidence in von der Leyen securing a second mandate.

There is no doubt von der Leyen “will pass the vote, but she will be forced to open to the conservatives, and I believe she will do so,” Tajani told the Italian newspaper on Monday.

“Until the 18th, I will work towards this. We need to open up to the conservatives, led by Meloni, if we want to ensure that von der Leyen gets the votes. For the sake of stability, it is important that the supporting majority is broad and certain,” Tajani added.

Tajani indicated that negotiations between Meloni and von der Leyen were progressing, noting that “she needs the votes of the Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) to be sure of her election”.

He calls for a broader coalition supporting a second von der Leyen Commission, as a secret ballot would risk some MEPs voting against her even though the current ruling coalition has enough votes.

In this scenario, the more than 70 members of the ECR, now the third largest parliamentary group in Europe, would be decisive.

Tajani is in a tricky position, as Forza Italia remains a staunch member of the EPP but also serves as the moderate core of Italy’s ruling coalition.

Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia and Salvini’s Lega – both in a coalition government with Tajani’s Forza Italia – have vehemently opposed European appointments, with Meloni abstaining on von der Leyen.

“I protested at the EPP (pre-summit) meeting for more attention to be paid to our (Italy’s) requests,” said Tajani.

Tajani also believes Italy “has the right to an important position” in the new EU executive and that “it cannot be without an important commissioner and vice-president”.

For Tajani, European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto, a member of Meloni’s FdI, would fit the bill.

“The commissioner must have certain characteristics: knowledge of the Brussels machinery, being known, and being able to pass the hearings. Fitto meets all these requirements,” Italy’s deputy prime minister added.

(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)

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