The President of the European Commission is a member of the same European party as Les Républicains. François-Xavier Bellamy, the head of the LR list, however refuses to support him in the campaign for his re-election.
His figure looms over the European elections of June 9. But in France, no one seems to want to talk about her. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who launched on February 19 in a campaign for his re-electionEast “undoubtedly the best-known Commission President since Jacques Delors”underlines to franceinfo Sébastien Maillard, special advisor and former director of the Jacques-Delors Institute.
During her mandate, the 65-year-old German stood out in particular for the establishment of the Green Deal, which aims for carbon neutrality of the European Union (EU) in 2050, the joint purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 and its defense of Ukraine against the invasion russe. EHowever, she is sometimes criticized for her vertical practice of power and annoys member states, as during her trip to Israel after the start of the war with Hamas in October 2023. “Of course, it pulls the cover for itself, but in a sense, it also gives a face to the EU”tempers Sébastien Maillard.
“She did not pursue the policy we wanted”
Despite her notoriety, the head of the executive is for the moment largely absent from the European campaign in France. The fault, among other things, is the disenchantment of those who could be his natural supporters. Including his own political family. The nomination of Ursula von der Leyen as candidate by the European People’s Party (EPP, center right), on March 7 in Bucharest (Romania), was not supported by Les Républicains (LR), whose elected representatives nevertheless sit in this group. For the party boss, Eric Ciotti, she even embodies “the technocratic drift of Europe”.
“She did not pursue the policy we wanted”justifies MEP LR Geoffroy Didier to franceinfo, citing in particular “the law of restoration of nature” and the “asylum and migration pact” as prohibitive measures. Above all, “she allowed herself to be influenced by the Renaissance and socialist groups who imposed everything on her”rails the deputy general secretary of LR.
It doesn’t matter if, in the absence of a majority in the European Parliament, the groups of the center, left and right are obliged to agree to adopt texts. Beyond political disagreements, the root of the problem lies in an original sin, according to LR elected officials: the name of Ursula von der Leyen would have been dictated by Emmanuel Macron. “She was not an EPP candidate in 2019, but Emmanuel Macron imposed her, so we cannot be accused of making an about-face”argues Othman Nasrou, the director of the European campaign for LR, interviewed by franceinfo.
The favorite target of eurosceptics
The origin of the quarrel? Ursula von der Leyen was not one of the Spitzenkandidaten in 2019. Behind this German word, translatable as “leaders”, hides a nomination process inaugurated in 2014 which wants the European Council (i.e. the meeting of heads of state and government) chooses the President of the Commission from among the leaders designated by the major European parties. This principle is not, however, set in stone, and the Treaty of Lisbon only requires the Council to “take into account the results of the elections”.
At the end of the 2019 election, under the leadership of Emmanuel Macron, the leaders of the Twenty-Eight thus refused to nominate the German Manfred Weber, although nominated as candidate by the EPP, who came first. The choice of a personality who had not campaigned had bristled the European deputies, who had only dubbed Ursula von der Leyen only by a very small majority in July 2019.
Since her surprise appointment, the President of the Commission has been one of the favorite targets of Eurosceptics. The National Rally frequently accuses it of being illegitimate. “She is not directly elected, she embodies everything we criticize”confides the spokesperson for the National Rally Gaëtan Dussausaye at franceinfo. A speech not so far removed from that given by LR elected officials. “The French have the impression that a non-French, unelected personality, whom they do not know, imposes his views everywhere in Europe”, explains Geoffroy Didier. While it peaks at 7% in the polls, the party is well behind the RN and Renaissance. “The Republicans are playing for their survival with these elections, being against Ursula von der Leyen allows them to stand out in the campaign”judge Sébastien Maillard.
Macron’s candidate?
The head of the LR list, François-Xavier Bellamy, does not miss an opportunity to assert that the President of the Commission is, according to him, “Emmanuel Macron’s candidate”. Is that the case ? “She is no more the candidate of the French president than of another European head of state”, replies Renaissance MEP Nathalie Loiseau, who recalls the importance “political overreach in European institutions”.
“It is not our problem, but that of the EPP”adds a campaign executive from the head of the Renaissance list Valérie Hayer, while specifying that she does not want “shoot at [Ursula von der Leyen] while she implemented many of the French proposals”. “We assume that we voted for her five years ago, she does very worthy things, like the recovery plan or the Green Deal, even if we disagree on other things”adds Nathalie Loiseau.
However, unlike in 2019, the centrist Renew group has decided not to nominate any Spitzenkandidat for 2024, but three representatives, reports Euractiv. A way of leaving the door open for Renaissance support for the German leader? Faced with other French leaders, Valérie Hayer frequently finds herself defending the texts adopted over the last five years. “However, we do not intend to write a blank check to Ursula von der Leyen, but we will not reject her a priori”, explains Nathalie Loiseau, who refers to discussions after June 9. A non-choice that results “Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to allow the head of a party list to automatically chair the Commission”underlines Sébastien Maillard.
A balancing act
Could this reluctance of the French parties endanger a second mandate for Ursula von der Leyen, if the EPP comes first, as the polls predict? On the Council side, the hyperactivity of the German, “who sometimes goes a little too much into the territory of heads of state, could be criticized”warns Sébastien Maillard. “It is already weakened in the Council, it will not have a majority in Parliament”predicted for his part Othman Nasrou. “The probability is still high that she will be nominated, because she has no serious rival”tempers the specialist.
Everything will depend on the support of his own political family, increasingly reluctant towards the Green Deal. It is clear that compared to the dozens of German, Polish and Spanish elected officials from the EPP (who still support it), the eight LR elected officials do not carry very much weight. “They especially risk becoming marginalized internally and losing all influence”, notes Sébastien Maillard. Ursula von der Leyen will also have to seek votes from outside the EPP, since the right-wing party does not seem able to win an absolute majority.
Aware of the risks, Ursula von der Leyen remains discreet, forced to lead a balancing act by promising fewer climate measures without denying her record, notes Politico. “She must not offend her peers on the Council”specifies Sébastien Maillard, while ensuring that he obtains a majority in the European Parliament after June 9. “It’s a difficult ridge line to maneuver”underlines the specialist in European affairs.