The supposedly "centre-right" EPP has done something that is actually conservative, and the Left are very upset with them. However, the Left will probably not withdraw support from von der Leyen.
From The European Conservative
By Tamás Orbán
The left-wing 'rebellion' in Brussels may not be as serious as it seems: the ‘Ursula coalition’ will cling together until the very last moment in their fight for political survival.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing her biggest political challenge from the EU Parliament after the left-wing members of the ruling ‘Ursula coalition’—the socialist S&D, the liberal Renew, and the Greens—threatened to pull their support if she goes on with plans to withdraw a controversial anti-greenwashing legislation, at least according to reports from Politico.
“We are on the brink of an institutional crisis,” said Renew chairwoman Valérie Hayer, hinting at the collapse of the center-left coalition and drawn-out legislative deadlocks to follow.
In truth, the drama in Brussels is blown out of proportion, as always. If the leftists do pull the plug and refuse to cooperate with von der Leyen’s ‘center-right’ EPP party in the future—thereby killing the current ‘Ursula coalition’—it would only force the EPP to build a permanent right-wing alternative with the Patriots and the ECR, something that no party to the left of center could allow to happen.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the Left wouldn’t at least try to look convincing with its threats.
“If the Commission withdraws the text, we at Renew consider this act as seriously jeopardizing the platform of the pro-European majority,” Hayer stated on Friday. She was joined by S&D chairwoman Iratxe García, who said von der Leyen “should be aware of the importance of the alliance and the commitments” she made after last year’s EU election, when she was re-elected only with the support from the Left.
Another Renew official then raised the stakes even more by threatening von der Leyen personally, saying that both the liberals and the Socialists “will stop protecting her” in the Pfizergate case—implying that the Commission chief does have something to hide, and owes it to the Left to keep it hidden.
The dispute is about the so-called ‘Green Claims’ directive, a proposed new law to put a stop to companies’ misleading or false green advertising claims about their products. A study done prior to its 2023 pitch showed that up to 53% of products that claim to be “planet-friendly,” “sustainably-sourced,” or any other green buzzword are lying to the customers, while climate-conscious advertising can help a company grow up to 28 times faster than competitors.
While agreeing with its purpose, the EPP (as well as the three right-wing parties) have been criticizing the proposal ever since to avoid creating “a bureaucratic nightmare” for companies—such as with the need to get pre-approval for every claim—that will primarily hurt small and medium-sized businesses.
After months of back and forth, the Commission finally announced its decision (upon pressure from the EPP) to axe the current form of the bill last Friday—after receiving letters from EPP, PfE, and ECR opposing it—and is expected to withdraw the bill this Wednesday, June 25th. This means the leftist groups have around 72 hours to throw a convincing tantrum to make von der Leyen change her mind, but it’s unlikely they will succeed.
But even if the Commission were to come around, there’s no longer a majority support for the file in the Council (of member states) either. Despite initially backing it, Giorgia Meloni’s Italian government pulled its support on Friday as well, potentially contributing to the Commission’s decision.
During a press conference on Monday, June 23rd, the directive’s Renew co-rapporteur, Sandro Gozi said he doesn’t understand the Commission’s move, claiming that the Parliament already agreed to an exemption for small businesses during the last interinstitutional negotiations.
According to German socialist MEP Tiemo Wölken, the EPP’s decision to join the “far-right” Patriots and ECR is a “serious breach of trust,” and will force the left-wing parties of the current coalition to re-evaluate their relationship with the center-right.
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