The Greens in the European Parliament have chosen to support the new EU Commission, indicating their intent to vote in favor during the upcoming vote on Wednesday.
Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, a member of the European Parliament from the SF party, stated, “We are not committed to this commission for the long term, but we have decided to back it due to significant concessions we have secured in the green and social sectors. We believe that our presence at the table is crucial for the best interests of Europe.”
Despite their support, the Greens have voiced strong criticism of the right-wing candidates from Italy and Hungary who are vying for positions in the new EU Commission.
With the endorsement of the Greens, the EU Commission is expected to obtain broad support from the European Parliament.
Prior to the European Parliament elections, the Social Democrats in the S&D group, as well as the liberals in the Renew group, had agreed not to support Ursula von der Leyen if she formed alliances with right-wing politicians, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her party, Brothers of Italy.
Interestingly, all three groups in the parliament have ultimately chosen to support the new EU Commission, which includes Italy’s Raffaele Fitto from Giorgia Meloni’s party as one of the six Executive Vice Presidents.
The Renew group, comprised of Liberals, Moderates, and Radicals, has also expressed strong reservations regarding Fitto’s prominent role.
Nonetheless, the Renew group plans to vote in favor of the new EU Commission. Renew’s leader, Valérie Hayer, remarked, “We fought until the very end to block Fitto’s appointment as executive vice president, but we were unsuccessful. The final decision rests with Ursula von der Leyen.”
Hayer added, “We do not support Fitto’s role as executive vice president, and we will closely monitor his performance within the EU Commission.”
Peter-Hansen acknowledged that the appointment process for the new EU Commission “has been less than ideal.”
However, she highlighted that they managed to obtain political concessions from Ursula von der Leyen that will help steer the new EU Commission towards greener policies. “We ensured that the commission upholds our climate laws at a time when there is significant pressure from a blue majority to roll them back.”
“Furthermore, we established a climate target for 2040 and continued our progress in social and equality policy areas,” concluded Kira Marie Peter-Hansen.
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