The debate was sparked when the EPP diverged from its usual centrist allies and relied on far-right support to advance the rollback of EU environmental regulations, including reductions in corporate sustainability and deforestation laws. Far-right lawmakers hailed this as a significant achievement.
Far-right factions have since stated their intent to leverage their influence. Leaders from the Patriots and ECR groups indicated they are advocating for stricter migration policies, industrial deregulation, and the reversal of the EU’s planned 2035 ban on combustion-engine vehicles, suggesting political costs for future votes.
Centrist lawmakers express feeling constrained. Socialists, liberals, and Greens accuse the EPP of veering right when advantageous while claiming the long-standing governing alliance is still theoretically intact—a situation a senior lawmaker likened to an “abusive marriage.”
Weber denied accusations that the EPP is undermining its resistance to far-right collaboration. “The firewall stands. We know who our enemies are,” he said.
He emphasized that any formal cooperation must adhere to strict criteria, outlining three red lines: being “pro-Europe, pro-Ukraine, and pro-rule of law.” Parties failing these criteria, he asserted, cannot be partners.
When questioned about the EPP potentially seeking far-right votes to reverse the phase-out of combustion-engine cars, Weber attempted to shift the focus to the political center. His “invitation,” he stated, was directed at centrist forces, commending Social Democrats for “very positive first signals.”
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