Whatever the outcome of the European summit that continued on Thursday evening, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni can already celebrate a victory: that of having placed herself at the center of attention. The competition was tough, with the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who came to brief the Twenty-seven on the state of the war against Russia in his country and to sign a security agreement with the European Union. But by denouncing, on Thursday morning, without beating around the bush, the pre-agreement concocted without her on top European jobs, the head of the Italian executive, and of the neo-fascist party Fratelli d’Italia, turned the spotlight on herself. And reminded us that if she has played the European game so far, it is because she wants to weigh in.
“It is surreal that the names of the main EU posts are presented without even pretending to discuss the signals sent by the voters,” she fumed on Wednesday. The Italian was referring to the deal, announced the day before, by the negotiators of the European People’s Party (the conservative Greek and Polish Prime Ministers, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Donald Tusk), the Socialists (the Spaniard Pedro Sanchez and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz) and the Liberals (the French President Emmanuel Macron and the outgoing Minister-President of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte). The six leaders agreed to reappoint Ursula von der Leyen as President of the Commission, to install the Estonian Kaja Kallas as head of European diplomacy and the Portuguese Antonio Costa as President of the European Council.
Kaja Kallas, an Estonian who does not mince her words in the face of Vladimir Putin
Packed, is it weighed? If these names have been circulating for months, Giorgia Meloni would have liked to have her say. By principle. And to see this team also reflect the success of his party – as well as his political family of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and in general extremist forces – in the European elections. Hungarian Prime Minister Vikor Orban echoed this request on Thursday. “European voters have been deceived. The EPP has formed a coalition of lies with the left and the liberals. We do not support this shameful agreement!”, he said.
A voice that carries…
Giorgia Meloni’s voice carries more weight at the European level than Mr Orban’s. Far from adopting the Hungarian’s sabotage strategy, she has sought to place herself at the heart of European dynamics. Not without success: Ms von der Leyen has been courting the Italian for months, to be sure of obtaining the necessary support for her nomination by the European Parliament, scheduled for mid-July. While Fratelli d’Italia gathered 28% of the votes in the Boot, Giorgia Meloni can also claim to have emerged stronger from the European elections, unlike Emmanuel Macron or Olaf Scholz. Furthermore, Italy remains a founding member state and the third demographic and economic power of the Union.
Top European jobs: Antonio Costa, a Portuguese experienced in the exercise of compromise
Yes, but. Giorgia Meloni can hardly make people forget her far-right label and her cronyism with anti-European forces. Moreover, although the ECR has gained weight in the European Parliament, going from 69 to 83 seats, it is neither willing nor invited to form the “von der Leyen majority” with the EPP, the socialists and the liberals. “What we need in the next five years is political stability. […] “These three political groups are ready to work together in the interests of all Europeans,” said the resigning Belgian (liberal) Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo.
On Thursday evening, European leaders were still trying to rally the Italian, but without giving in too much.
Moreover, if the ECR thought it could become the third force in the hemicycle, its 20 Polish members of PiS would be tempted, according to Politico, to slam the door to form a group with Viktor Orban’s Fidesz, Citizens’ Action. dissatisfied with the Czech Andrej Babis and the Slovenian Democratic Party of Janez Jansa. Above all, regardless of the weight of the ECR, the moods of Ms Meloni or Mr Orban, the nominations of top jobs can be decided – in the absence of consensus – by a qualified majority vote…
…But not too much anyway
At the time of writing these lines, the other European heads of state and government, favoring a decision by consensus, were still trying to avoid mentioning this option, seeking to flatter the Italian. “No one respects Prime Minister Meloni and Italy more than me. […] There is no Europe without Italy and no decision without Ms. Meloni,” assured Mr. Tusk upon his arrival. “The Twenty-seven are all as important as each other,” added Ms. . Scholz. The core of the Union’s power, however, remains in the hands of the pro-European forces. For the moment, the Netherlands is on the verge of having a far-right government. dangerously with this scenario, a prospect that Viktor Orban described on Thursday, according to The Guardian, as a “ray of sunshine”…
