Will the European Union’s climate ambitions be hampered by the weaker influence of the environmentalists in Parliament? Following the elections, with the latest figures confirming a loss of 18 seats for the Greens/EFA group, Ursula von der Leyen, the German leader of the EPP list, was keen to reassure voters that “everything must be done to combat climate change”. The day before, when the results were announced, the Green ‘co-Spitzenkandidat’, Bas Eickhout, had said that the EU could not ignore these issues.
During her speech to the press (see other news) on Monday 10 June, the current President of the European Commission stated that the Union was entering an “important” phase in the implementation of its climate policy. Ms von der Leyen pointed out that a certain pragmatism had to govern the implementation of its roadmap in this area, the European Green Deal, the legal framework for which has been established over the last 5 years and which has to be “compatible with a competitive economy”.
This position - shared by the CAN Europe coalition of NGOs, which on Monday called on the new majority to work towards a climate-neutral EU, not forgetting to emphasise the economic benefits (https://aeur.eu/f/clh ) - echoes the words of Mr Eickhout. On the evening of 9 June, the Dutch MEP observed that environmental concerns were clearly waning to some extent (see EUROPE 13427/6), but he nonetheless predicted that the formation of the new Commission “would make the climate a key point in its programme”, if only out of economic necessity.
“If you look at the United States and China, they are investing billions of dollars in their green economy. If Europe stands still, we will lose out”, he warned, reaffirming the commitment of the Greens/EFA.
The group’s Co-President, Philippe Lamberts (Belgian), agreed, and on election night also called for unity in the face of the concomitant rise of the radical right: “I hope that over the next few Parliaments, the democratic forces will not give up and will realise that the European Green Deal is not only a necessity for Europe to do its part in safeguarding humanity on this planet, but that it is also a gigantic economic opportunity”. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)