On Tuesday 16 July, The Left Group in the European Parliament confirmed through its co-president, Manon Aubry, that it would not support Ursula von der Leyen’s candidacy for the presidency of the European Commission. This announcement follows Ms von der Leyen’s hearing in Strasbourg on Monday evening with radical left-wing MEPs (see EUROPE 13453/9).
“The von der Leyen coalition has imposed austerity measures, reduced budgets for public services, increased the number of free trade agreements and advocates nothing but the market. In terms of fundamental rights, it’s not much better: their migration policy reinforces Frontex despite its violence and normalises the construction of border walls. This coalition is also one of climate inaction and abandonment of its objectives, at a time when everything should be done to curb global warming. We will therefore be voting against this coalition”, declared Ms Aubry ahead of the vote scheduled for Thursday 18 July at 1pm in the European Parliament plenary session.
European Parliament Presidency. On Tuesday, in an election concerning another European Union top job, the presidency of the European Parliament, The Left supported the candidacy of Spanish MEP Irene Montero, from the Podemos party.
However, Ms Montero, a former Minister for Equality in Spain, received only 61 votes against the European People’s Party (EPP) candidate, Roberta Metsola (see other news).
“We’re presenting this candidacy to defend a Europe of peace, committed to ending the genocide against the Palestinian people, a feminist, anti-racist and anti-fascist Europe of rights and social justice”, the Spanish candidate asserted on Tuesday morning.
Ms Montero is one of The Left Group’s four vice-presidents, alongside Konstantinos Arvanitis (Syriza, Greek), Marc Botenga (PTB, Belgian) and Hanna Gedin (Vänsterpartiet, Swedish). (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)