Latest news with #ManfredWeber
Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Ursula von der Leyen faces confidence vote as alliance tension grows
Discontent about the high-handed style of Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, and anger over the alliance between her centre-right bloc and anti-immigration populists will spill out in a European parliament debate on Monday. Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, is set to participate in a debate about her position on Monday evening, which will be followed by a rare vote of confidence on Thursday. The European Commission, the Brussels executive, could be brought down if at least two thirds of MEPs vote against her. That scenario is extremely unlikely, as centrist MEPs are likely to back her, but unhappiness over her leadership will surface during the debate triggered by a motion of confidence tabled by Gheorghe Piperea, a hard-right Romanian MEP. While they are also increasingly unhappy with von der Leyen, the Socialist, Green and Liberal representatives who helped to secure her majority after last summer's elections are unlikely to vote against her. However, according to parliamentary sources, she will be 'given a warning not to take MEPs for granted'. Manfred Weber, the German Christian Democrat who leads the conservative European People's Party (EPP), the largest single group in the parliament, has accused supporters of the motion of being pro-Russian enemies of the European Union. 'Putin's puppets in the European parliament are trying to undermine Europe's unity and bring the commission down in times of global turmoil and economic crisis,' Weber said. 'It's a disgrace for the European people.' Von der Leyen will bring her entire team of 27 commissioners, made up of people from all EU countries and the various parties in the assembly, to Strasbourg. It will serve as a reminder to MEPs that the whole EU executive is at stake in the vote and emphasise that she represents the centrist consensus. The given reason for Piperea's motion against von der Leyen is secret text messages that she sent to Albert Bourla, the boss of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. She has always refused to release the messages, which are now thought to have been deleted, despite widespread criticism, including by the EU courts. MEPs will demand answers from her. More significantly, relations between von der Leyen and left-leaning MEPs have become strained over tough migration legislation that has relied on informal voting alliances between her EPP bloc and Eurosceptic populists or hard-right nationalists. Fabienne Keller, a liberal French MEP, accused von der Leyen and the EPP bloc of having 'made a dirty deal with the far right' to crack down on illegal migration. 'The EPP is allying itself with the far right, to win files on migration, turning its back on the pro-European majority. It is shameful to ally oneself with those who are dismantling the EU,' she said last week. Von der Leyen has also been accused of taking decisions after consulting only a small coterie of advisers, bypassing other commissioners as well as MEPs. Last month, Michel Barnier, the former French prime minister and Brexit negotiator, said her executive was behaving like 'super-technocrats' with an 'authoritarian drift'.
Euractiv
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Inside Manfred Weber's paper wars that are dividing Europe's centre right
Patience is wearing thin in Europe's most powerful political family over its president's attempts to remote control national leaders at EU summits. Euractiv is part of the Trust Project Nick Alipour Euractiv Jul 3, 2025 06:00 5 min. read Analysis Based on factual reporting, although it Incorporates the expertise of the author/producer and may offer interpretations and conclusions. Before every European Council summit, another summit takes place in Brussels – and it may be becoming more contentious than the often orderly main event. National leaders from the centre-right European People's Party gather around 7am at the Sofitel hotel in Place Jourdan, not far from the famed Maison Antoine friterie that counts Angela Merkel among its previous customers . What used to be a pre-summit talking shop in Merkel's day is evolving into something more strategic. The meeting now sees Germany's Friedrich Merz, Poland's Donald Tusk, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the 10 other EPP leaders that dominate the Council table agree joint position papers ahead of the main summit. But the new tradition is stirring internal unrest. Some officials consider the position papers unrepresentative and divisive, if not an outright stealthy power grab by EPP President Manfred Weber – who never misses a meeting. That is threatening to undermine the very purpose of the meeting as the controversy surrounding the papers has even prompted the Polish delegation to refuse to sign last week's joint position, as Euractiv reported in Wednesday's The Capitals newsletter. Family matters Policy papers are a well-established Weber strategy to rally Europe's most powerful political family around common positions at all levels. Essentially, he wants his EPP to act like a national party, a transformation that he accelerated with a reform of the EPP's staffing and bylaws at this year's congress in Valencia. 'Manfred Weber's stated goal is to politicise the party and for that leaders need to align behind joint political goals,' one EPP official briefed on the matter said. Ahead of the 2024 European elections, Weber committed von der Leyen to a manifesto at the EPP's Bucharest congress. He followed up in January by incorporating its priorities into the EPP's work programme for the next European Commission mandate. Weber expects EPP representatives to align with these principles, frequently reinforcing this expectation at public events. Since October, EPP leaders have been signing joint declarations at the pre-summit meetings, usually outlining the EPP's positions on one key matter over a couple of bullet point sections. Last week marked the first time a comprehensive paper covered all policy areas. As these documents gain weight, so too does the pushback from national delegations, who feel steamrolled by Weber's centralisation. Member offices may typically suggest amendments to the final document. But drafts have originated primarily from Weber's executive team and, recently, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who drafted parts on defence and Ukraine as first vice-president of the party, according to a source familiar with the matter. Last week, qualms over the process boiled over for the Polish Civic Platform (PO), led by Tusk, who have a history of quarrels with Weber. Andrzej Halicki, a vice-president of the EPP and Polish MEP, and his entourage were visibly frustrated when they left the EPP summit last Thursday. Speaking to Euractiv, Halicki confirmed that the Polish delegation didn't sign the paper and questioned its purpose. 'We don't see that these statements are needed before the summit. Especially if the points are not on the agenda,' Halicki said. The precise points of contention remain unclear. A second EPP insider suggested that Polish amendments – possibly related to migration or climate policy – were not included in the final draft or even presented to other leaders. 'The general feeling was that the statement pushes the EPP to the right,' they said. That was a problem for other national delegations as well, leading to some amendments to the statement's critical parts, 'but not to the extent that the PO wanted', they added. The PO are particularly concerned about the rightward shift given their fierce battle with the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party – who recently won the country's presidency through Karol Nawrocki. The Poles are not the only ones who sense skulduggery from the Weber camp over the papers, with criticism also targeting the drafting process. At the March summit, the German Christian Democrats (CDU) objected to a paragraph endorsing joint EU borrowing for defence spending – something Weber notably avoided ruling out as part of a more integrated EU security strategy. With opposition leader Friedrich Merz absent due to coalition talks and the EPP's 'empty-chair' policy preventing a substitute, the CDU had no formal representation. The CDU made its opposition known after the document was passed, Euractiv was told by sources familiar with the matter. A third EPP source described the pattern for feeding into drafts: 'They tend to dump papers with a rather short deadline along the lines of: Here's a draft, if I don't get a response in the next 30 hours, we will pass this." 'And then the question is, was this a matter of organisation or was this on purpose?' they mused. A futile struggle? Evidence of intent is scarce, however. The second official said that the party was still looking to improve the drafting process in a way that coordinates it well in advance of the meetings`. The simmering discontent is blamed by the first EPP source on the increased salience of the documents – which was Weber's stated goal from the outset. 'It attracts attention and also controversy,' they said. 'But making the party more cohesive is a necessary process for the centre right to increase its clout in Brussels." Others disagree, instead positing that Weber's attempt to unify such different views within the party family is delusional. 'I would caution against even attempting to present a unified EPP line on socially sensitive issues like immigration, LGBTQI, abortion, for example,' the third EPP source said. 'There are different views on these issues, and we have to put up with that.' Eddy Wax contributed reporting. (om, jp) Euractiv is part of the Trust Project Topics
Qatar Tribune
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
EU parliamentary group leaders demand end to Gaza aid blockade
The leaders of several political groups in the European Parliament on Saturday called on Israel to allow the immediate resumption of aid supplies into the Gaza Strip. 'We call for immediate action by the Israeli authorities, in cooperation with the United Nations and humanitarian organisations, to secure unrestricted access to essential humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian population in Gaza,' read the statement. It was issued by Manfred Weber of the conservative European People's Party (EPP), Iratxe García of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Valérie Hayer of Renew Europe, Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout of the Greens/European Free Alliance, and Martin Schirdewan of the Left. 'We call for immediate and effective international action to ease the intolerable humanitarian crisis in Gaza against the backdrop of the blockade enacted by the Israeli government that prevents humanitarian aid from reaching the civilian population living in inhumane conditions,' the statement continued. The signatories also condemned 'any act of politicization or militarisation of humanitarian aid.' At the same time, they called for proactive diplomatic efforts by the EU to achieve a lasting ceasefire and reaffirm the European Parliament's commitment to a two-state solution. For more than two months, the Israeli military has barred aid supplies from entering the Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian situation has reached catastrophic proportions. There is a lack of food, drinking water, medicine and everyday necessities, prompting international aid organizations to urgently warn of a growing famine. (DPA)
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU parliamentary group leaders demand end to Gaza aid blockade
The leaders of several political groups in the European Parliament on Saturday called on Israel to allow the immediate resumption of aid supplies into the Gaza Strip. "We call for immediate action by the Israeli authorities, in cooperation with the United Nations and humanitarian organisations, to secure unrestricted access to essential humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian population in Gaza," read the statement. It was issued by Manfred Weber of the conservative European People's Party (EPP), Iratxe García of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Valérie Hayer of Renew Europe, Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout of the Greens/European Free Alliance, and Martin Schirdewan of the Left. "We call for immediate and effective international action to ease the intolerable humanitarian crisis in Gaza against the backdrop of the blockade enacted by the Israeli government that prevents humanitarian aid from reaching the civilian population living in inhumane conditions," the statement continued. The signatories also condemned "any act of politicization or militarisation of humanitarian aid." At the same time, they called for proactive diplomatic efforts by the EU to achieve a lasting ceasefire and reaffirm the European Parliament's commitment to a two-state solution. For more than two months, the Israeli military has barred aid supplies from entering the Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian situation has reached catastrophic proportions. There is a lack of food, drinking water, medicine and everyday necessities, prompting international aid organizations to urgently warn of a growing famine.
Euronews
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
European People's Party officials elected as Valencia congress ends
ADVERTISEMENT The great and the good of the European People's Party met in Valencia for the party's annual congress, six months after the city was hit by devastating floods, where proceedings ended with the election of a variety of party officials. On Tuesday German MEP Manfred Weber was re-elected party president in an uncontested process on Tuesday, receiving 502 of 570 votes cast, after warning ahead of the congress of an authoritarian wave in Europe in an interview with Euronews . German chancellor in waiting Friedrich Merz addressed the congress, warning the party not to lose the pro-European vote by approving burdensome measures on business and citizens. Spanish MEP Dolors Montserrat was voted in as secretary general unopposed (with 93% of votes cast in the congress) and Francois-Xavier Bellamy as treasurer (with 91% of votes cast). The party's ten vice-presidents were also elected, with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo topping the list, and Bulgarian former foreign minister Mariya Gabriel missing out on a place.
