The white smoke has arrived. The EU leaders are sealing the deal put together by the Populars, Socialists and Liberals and are handing over the keys to the Europe that will come again. Ursula von der Leyen.
The yes to the triad that the German will form for the next five years with Kaja Kallas as EU High Representative e Antonio Costa to lead the work of the European Council found the qualified majority – strengthened – needed around the table of Europe building. But, despite the intense negotiation led by the EU populars to convince even the excluded Giorgia Meloni, Italy rejected the agreement abstaining on the name of the German and voting against the Estonian and Portuguese. A rift that risks widening in the secrecy of the ballot boxes of the final vote in the Eurochamber in mid-July, dangerously undermining the encore of Angela Merkel’s dauphin, already busy covering her back from snipers. The announcement, which came after the leaders’ approval of the strategic agenda for the next mandate and after about an hour of discussion on the nominations, was immediately celebrated by Kallas and Costa.
The Estonian, “honored” by the “trust” placed in her, on X indicated the way to a future in which “to ensure that Europe is an effective global partner keeping our citizens free, safe and prosperous”. A satisfaction also shared by the Portuguese who always on social media assured – “with a great sense of mission” his commitment “to promote unity among the 27 member states”. “The proposal formulated by the People’s Party, Socialists and Liberals for the new European summits is wrong in method and substance. I have decided not to support it out of respect for the citizens and for the indications that those citizens have received with the elections. We continue to work to give finally Italy has the weight it deserves in Europe” writes Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in X. The day began with an unmistakable indication of the change in strategy offered by the president of the EPP, Manfred Weber, to reverse the approach that in recent days had cut the prime minister out of the lightning negotiation to bring the negotiation home. “Italy is a G7 country, leader in the EU” and its “interests”, he warned, must be taken into consideration. Then, one after the other, the leading exponents of the People’s Party extended their hand to the Italian Prime Minister. Denying that she was excluded from the negotiations.
Speaking of “a misunderstanding” and of majority “political” and mathematical reasons. And confirming, through the mouth of the Polish prime minister and negotiator Donald Tusk, that “there is no Europe without Italy” and that no decision can be made without its leader. A line also reiterated by Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani who – committed to supporting Meloni and pleading the Italian cause for “a vice-president and an important portfolio” in the European Commission – has repeatedly highlighted the “convergences” between his EPP and the Prime Minister’s ECR on multiple fronts – from Ukraine to the fight against illegal migration. Returning to calling for a dialogue between the two families useful for giving a new shape to Europe and shifting the center of gravity of the future majority. Which should not, in the opinion of the leader of Forza Italia, in any way also involve the Greens.
Geometries completely opposite to those of the Socialists who instead returned to shore up their red line: “No collaboration with ECR” and “the extreme right”. They reiterated it by meeting behind closed doors before the start of the summit and letting the chief negotiator Olaf Scholz speak, also the voice of his Spanish counterpart and friend Pedro Sanchez who was absent with justification in Brussels due to the death of his father-in-law. And then, more openly, with the clear words of the leader of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, to reiterate the wall to “any type of alliance with Giorgia Meloni’s ECR and with Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini’s ID”.
The only way to widen the majority, the Dem indicated, is to turn to “other democratic families such as the European Greens, with whom there are many shared objectives such as the defense of the Green Deal”. She closed the doors of the whirlwind of meetings between political families but the spotlight moved to the scene of the European Council. Where – after the blitz of recent days with explicit anti-sovereign intentions piloted together with Emmanuel Macron to define the shortlist of names – Scholz’s tones were more conciliatory towards twenty-seven countries “all equally important” to protect the agreement.
An agreement that, also the liberal Mark Rutte pointed out, was closed by the majority groups for which the presence of ECR is “unacceptable”, without however any desire to “exclude” Italy. In the end the prime minister – despite the “constructive” approach described by some EU sources – did not change her mind. Just like Viktor Orban, who was already considered “irrecoverable”. “I would like to express my gratitude to all EU leaders. I am very honored and very happy to share the responsibility with my dear friend Kaja Kallas and Antonio Costa. I will seek confirmation of my nomination to the European Parliament after presenting my political program for the next five years. So there is still one step to take” said Ursula von der Leyen in the press conference at the end of the European Council. Then he added: “Yes, Meloni abstained on my nomination, but it is important to work well in the Council with Italy, as well as with the other Member States, it is a principle that I always follow. I will work with the whole Parliament, but I have to convince a majority: we are building a platform with EPP, S&D and Renew but I will also turn to other parties, it is important to build a large majority for Europe”, he added regarding the need to have the votes for confirmation in the European Parliament.
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