Is Weber working to replace von der Leyen?
The EPP is dissatisfied with President von der Leyen and the head of the European People's Party Weber has begun to contest her openly. Scenarios in Brussels circulating at the top of large companies hypothesize Weber as a candidate for the presidency of the Commission or a supporter of Metsola. Facts, names and rumors
Is Manfred Weber preparing to replace Ursula von der Leyen at the helm of the European Commission? This is the hypothetical scenario circulating among the lobbyists of large foreign companies.
WILL WEBER PUSH METSOLA TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION?
Weber, president of the European People's Party (or EPP: it is the largest group in the European Parliament), is dissatisfied with von der Leyen, also a German and a member of the EPP, and is contesting it in Strasbourg. Consequently, according to the Brussels scenarios hypothesized in some large companies read by Startmag , Weber could decide to support Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament belonging to the EPP, for the role of president of the Commission. Or he could apply himself, as in 2019.
EPP CRITICISES VON DER LEYEN FOR GREEN INDUSTRY PLAN
There are tensions within the EPP, mainly related to the Green Deal Industrial Plan , the Commission's plan for aid to green industry, in response to the US Inflation Reduction Act. Weber directly criticized von der Leyen for a plan that his party considers insufficient (it does not provide for new funding, but reuses resources already allocated) and late (the Inflation Reduction Act has already been law since August 2022).
THE METSOLA PROBLEM
The scenario analyzes circulating in some large companies with antennas in Brussels say that Weber is thinking about the 2024 European elections, and that he wants to distance the EPP from the work of the von der Leyen Commission. He could then decide to nominate Roberta Metsola as Spitzenkandidat (that is, the party's candidate for the office of president of the Commission), but it is unlikely that the Maltese politician will be able to gather support, since she has not held positions as head of government or state.
Ursula von der Leyen has indeed worked for a long time in the German federal government, but as a minister under Angela Merkel (first of the Family, then of Labor and finally of Defence).
WHAT WILL THE EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTY DO WITH TIMMERMANS?
As for the European Socialist Party (PES), the scenarios judge a re-nomination of Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the Commission and Commissioner for the Green Deal already Spitzenkandidat of the party in 2019, unlikely: he would have been overshadowed, within the Commission, by the President von der Leyen.
THE SANNA MARIN OPTION
Within the PES there are those who think that Sanna Marin, chief minister of Finland, will lose the next Finnish elections, making herself available as the party's Spitzenkandidat .
Despite being head of government in her native country – it is the youngest in the history of Finland – and despite having contacts within the European Council, which appoints the Commission, Marin is however still considered too inexperienced to lead the Union.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/manfred-weber-presidenza-commissione-europea/ on Wed, 22 Feb 2023 11:15:49 +0000.