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BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers on Wednesday ended a week of bickering to rubber-stamp a new team of policy commissioners that will head one of the most rightward-leaning executive branches ever chosen in the bloc for the next five years.
The main centrist pro-European political groups in the European Parliament set aside their political differences to seal a deal on the remaining top posts, declaring in a statement that they were “determined to work together to strengthen the European Union.”
Since Nov. 4, senior lawmakers have been vetting the 26 nominees to the European Commission to see whether they’re suitable to lead on policies like trade, agriculture or foreign policy under the stewardship of President Ursula von der Leyen.
The commission is the only EU body with the power to draft laws which, once passed by the European Parliament and the 27 member countries, are applied across much of Europe. They cover everything from water quality to data protection to competition or migration policy.
The approval paves the way for all EU lawmakers to take part in an official vote on the entire commission at a plenary session in Strasbourg, France next week, which should be a formality. It means that von der Leyen’s new team could start work as soon as Dec. 1.
EU-wide elections in June left most centrist and pro-European parties weakened, while the hard right consolidated its position. But the European People’s Party – a pan-European conservative political family – remained the biggest group in the assembly.
This has allowed the EPP, which counts von der Leyen as a member, to operate without its usual mainstream political allies, the center-left Socialists and Democrats, the pro-business Renew group, and the environment-friendly Greens.
More than half of the members of the new commission – candidates are put forward by the 27 national governments – come from the EPP, and the conservatives have been able to pick and choose their allies to secure agreements. Only four commissioners hail from parties left of center.
Breaking with long tradition, the EPP joined forces with hard-right parties like Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, which has neo-fascist roots, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz to force through the schedule for hearing the commissioners.
But the EPP, socialists and liberals, which together hold a parliamentary majority, said Monday evening that the solutions to Europe’s problems “will come from the cooperation of our political groups and all those who want to continue building a Union based on these values and are ready to address global challenges while upholding democratic institutions.”
Still, Meloni’s nominee, Raffaele Fitto, has secured an executive vice president post — a first for a hard-right politician — to oversee a “cohesion policy,” which helps finance infrastructure projects with a big slice of the EU’s massive budget.
Orbán’s man, the current enlargement commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, was approved for the health and animal welfare portfolio but some of his duties, most notably on sexual and reproductive health rights, were set to be transferred to another commissioner.
The liberals welcomed that news, posting on X that “with a revised portfolio for Várhelyi, Fidesz loses influence over women’s rights.” Hungary has been criticized in Europe in recent years for rolling back marriage, gender and other rights.
Last week, the socialists had accused the EPP leadership of “irresponsible behavior” by working with the Spanish populist party Vox to accuse its nominee for the top climate and competition post, Teresa Ribera, of failing to do enough to prevent the catastrophic floods in eastern Spain. But she too was confirmed.
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Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.
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