2024-07-18 08:32:27
Wednesday, July 18, 2024, 09:46 | Update 10:32 am
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Ursula von der Leyen is seeking the support of the European Parliament this Thursday for her second term as head of the European Commission. The German politician, the candidate of the Member States and of the main party in the European Parliament – the European People’s Party (EPP) – has promised to fight against “specialists and hardliners” to win the favor of the chamber . “I will not stand by and watch our Union tear apart from without or from within. “I will not let the vandals and the bigots destroy our European way of life,” he said, calling for the unity of the “democratic forces” of the chamber.
The candidate, who needs the support of 361 MEPs to be re-elected, has decided to fight corruption and defend the rule of law. And he has thrown an arrow at Hungary and its Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán: “Respecting the rule of law must be the order to receive European funds,” he insisted.
He also referred to Orbán’s “peace mission” and his trips to Moscow and Beijing. “It is not a mission of peace, but of comfort,” he criticized. And he remembers that a day after the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Orbán, Russian missiles fell on a Ukrainian children’s school. “This is not a mistake, it is a message. Our response must be equally strong: we will be on Ukraine’s side as long as necessary,” he promised.
In this process, he stressed that Europe must give Ukraine “everything necessary to resist”, because the independence of the European Union “is at risk.” The continent must also invest more in defense and security. NATO remains the pillar of collective defense, “but defense spending is low and ineffective.” For this reason, Von der Leyen has defended more investment in the European military market, which contributes to improving European capabilities and creating “aircraft security” at the European level.
“Affordable Home”
Internally, Von der Leyen has committed to a new European plan for “affordable housing”, focused on construction and investment and will create a police station dedicated to this issue, thus responding to one of the demands of the European Social Democrats (S&D). to support. The support of the socialists – with 136 seats – and the liberals – with 77 MEPs – is the key for his re-election as President of the European Commission. The president of the European Popular Group, Manfred Weber, has asked for the vote for Von der Leyen “a president who leads the European Green Deal, next generation funds and support for Ukraine” and has shown that German politics is ready to ” unite to the people, not like Le Pen, Orbán and Mélenchon.
The socialists, led by Iratxe García of Spain, have pledged their support for Von der Leyen in exchange for making equal opportunities in Europe a priority, and the strengthening of the European social pillar. The liberals have also promised to be a “demanding but reliable labor partner”, defending their support for the German one.
Among the right-wing parties, the Patriots for Europe, the party created by Orbán and Le Pen’s party and which is already the third force in the European Parliament, has confirmed that it will vote “unity” against the German. The Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) – of which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is a part – have announced that the vote will be free within their party. For its part, the Europe of Nations, the most right-wing group in the European Parliament, has attacked the popular candidate for his lack of stability on immigration policy and his defense of the European Green Deal, ensuring that they will not support him.
The Greens, which could become the key to Von der Leyen’s election, have called for the protection and implementation of the European Green Deal, “the great challenge of our generation.” Green MEP Terry Reintke has called for a “Europe of dignity” for all Europeans and the fight against inequality. In this sense, he has been convinced that “the compromises” have been reached in recent weeks and he has emphasized that the greens will be there to work with “European democratic parties and to leave the right that is right out of power.”
For its part, the left has been shamed for having “delivered an austerity message” during his tenure and for failing to impose sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the attack in Gaza. This way, they are guaranteed to vote against his re-election.
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