Europe Social Democrats deplore breach of firewall in EU Parliament

The Socialists and Social Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D) are accusing the center-right EPP alliance led by CSU politician Manfred Weber of ignoring an informal firewall against the far right. The background to this is a dispute over the order in which the designated new EU Commissioners will be questioned by Parliament.

A majority of the leaders of the right-of-centre political groups have decided that the hearing of Spanish Socialist Teresa Ribera will take place at the end of the process, which can be used as leverage against the Socialists and Social Democrats, as the EU Parliament can prevent the candidates from being nominated.

Decision with significance

The decision has political significance, as the S&D assumes that it is also intended to protect the right-wing Commissioner candidate Raffaele Fitto. The fear is that if left-of-centre MEPs are too tough on right-wing and conservative candidates, Ribera will end up being blocked as revenge. The Spaniard is to be given by far the most influential post among the left-wing Commission candidates.

According to information from several political groups, the Cordon Sanitaire is an informal agreement between the EPP, S&D, Liberals and Greens not to work with right-wing parties and, for example, not to support any proposals from the PfE and ESN or to elect their politicians as chairs of parliamentary committees. However, the cordon sanitaire has not been set down in writing.

S&D group leader Iratxe García Pérez said with regard to the vote that the firewall had been disregarded by those who formed a majority with the extreme right. Indirectly, she accused CSU politician Weber of making deals with the right and the far right.

Green parliamentary group leader Terry Reintke said that Weber had voted together with far-right groups. Weber did not comment at first.

Opposition from EPP circles

According to dpa information, in addition to the EPP, the right-wing conservative ECR, which includes the party of Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the far-right PfE alliance around Hungary's head of government Viktor Orban and the ESN group, which includes the AfD, also voted in favor of the timetable that has now been decided. The votes of the ESN would not have been necessary for a majority.

After the vote, EPP circles stated that the EPP had agreed to a proposal put forward by SPD politician Bernd Lange. "The proposal is in line with common practice in previous legislative periods." Lange told dpa that he had submitted two proposals because there had previously been no clear majority for one or the other position in the preparatory committee and he felt obliged to remain neutral.