N. Peter Kramer’s Weekly Column
The results of the EP election are strengthening von der Leyen’s reappointment bid.
Italy’s Prime-Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose Fratelli d’Italia (ECR had hovered nearly 30 percent of the votes, said ‘I am proud this nation will show up at the G7, in Europe, with the strongest government of all’. Without mentioning them she pointed to France and Germany, where sweeping far-right victories destabilise incumbent leaderships.
The weakened positions mean a plus for Ursula von der Leyen’s chances to stay President of the European Commission. French President Emmanuel Macron earlier said to support Mario Draghi against von der Leyen but called snap elections following his party suffered and lost seats to the far-right opposition Rassemblement National of Marine Le Pen. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also put into question von der Leyen’s re-election, lost seats to her political family (CDU/EPP) and the far-right AFD. Scholz position has been weakened already long before the federal election next year.
Conversely, two of von der Leyen’s key allies came out reinforced by the polls. In Italy Giorgia Meloni and in Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition won more seats than the far-right Law-and-Justice (PIS) party, giving him weight as one of von der Leyen’s key backers.
With a strong performance of her centre-right European Peoples Party (EPP), incumbent President von der Leyen is ready for the next part of her reappointment battle. In the European Parliament, where she, in 2019, won with a minimal margin of only 8 votes. And in the Council with not only friends of her.
