Meloni expects Green Deal ‘change of course’ from von der Leyen

Ahead of the European Parliament’s vote on Ursula von der Leyen’s bid to lead the Commission for another five years, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is keeping her cards close to her chest but will listen carefully to what von der Leyen says about the Green Deal in her parliamentary address.

According to sources quoted by Il Corriere della Sera, Meloni told her deputies on Tuesday (16 July), after her political group, the hard-right ECR, met with von der Leyen, that unless the incumbent Commission chief “publicly affirms the minimal concessions she has made in private, it will be difficult for her to secure our votes”.

The decision remains pending, with no resolution expected until after von der Leyen’s speech in Strasbourg on Thursday morning (18 July). 

Tuesday’s meeting between von der Leyen and the ECR failed to dispel the lingering doubts of Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia.

Fratelli d’Italia allegedly welcomed von der Leyen’s statements on security, defence, and Ukraine and were particularly pleased with her remarks on migration.

Sources from Fratelli d’Italia in the European Parliament told Euractiv on Tuesday that delegation head Carlo Fidanza “recognised von der Leyen for resisting pressure from the left, who tried to boycott the agreements with Tunisia and Egypt”.

Fidanza also voiced hope that Europe would continue “on the path traced by Giorgia Meloni, with new agreements with African countries to stop departures and defeat the trafficking mafias”.

However, Meloni’s decision hinges on one key issue: the Green Deal.

Fidanza asked von der Leyen on Tuesday for a “radical change of course,” noting that those who promoted the Green Deal were “penalised” in June’s EU elections while critics were “rewarded”.

If von der Leyen adopts the same pragmatic approach to migration and is not evasive, the 27 MEPs from Fratelli d’Italia would support her, according to sources, but she must first publicly commit to this in her speech in the European Parliament.

However, this could potentially put von der Leyen on collision course with the Greens, while she also needs the support of their 53 MEPs.

In practice, Meloni’s support for von der Leyen’s re-election is optional, as the pro-EU coalition of the centre-right EPP, the Socialists, and the liberal centrists theoretically has a majority. However, there is always the risk of defections given the secret nature of the vote.

In Italy, Meloni has vowed to secure the best outcomes for her country, including an executive vice-presidency of the European Commission and a significant Commissioner role.

As for the commissioner role, Meloni is expected to seek a portfolio for her European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto, focusing on the internal market, industry, or competition.

Sources indicate that abstention in Thursday’s vote is off the table, with the choice being voting for or against.

“We will explain our choice publicly, but only after the candidate for the presidency has spoken,” is the informal directive Meloni has given her ministers, according to Il Corriere della Sera.

An ECR source also explained that the “sentiment” in the group is that Fratelli d’Italia “will vote” for von der Leyen, considering that “many concessions” were made toward Meloni’s MEPs, including a parliament vice-presidency for Sberna.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

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