The Christian Democrat Group (EPP) in the European Parliament is angered by regular criticism from the Social Democrat (S&D) and centre-right (Renew Europe) groups that the EPP is undermining its ‘pro-European, pro-Ukraine and pro-rule of law’ majority by joining forces with the conservative (ECR) and far-right (PfE, etc.) to weaken legislative proposals aimed in particular at implementing the European Green Deal.
On Wednesday 2 July, experts from the European Parliament’s most powerful group handed out internal statistics to a number of journalists, intended to prove that the majority in the centre of the political spectrum that re-elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is holding firm in the Chamber.
Based on 194 nominal votes taken in plenary sessions between July 2024 and June 2025, these experts point out that: - 86.6% of the votes analysed were won by a majority made up of the EPP, S&D and Renew Europe groups; - 2.6% of the votes analysed were won by a majority of the EPP, ECR and PfE groups, with the S&D and Renew Europe groups opposing the EPP political line; - 7.7% of the votes analysed were won by an alliance of convenience between the S&D and PfE groups, against the line defended by the EPP.
According to the EPP Group, the pro-European majority is working, and the Social Democrats are more likely than the EPP to form alliances with the Conservatives and the far right to oppose the Christian Democrat line. The document does not mention any specific examples.
Criticising the EPP group’s attitude to the ‘green allegations’ dossier (see EUROPE 13664/1), the S&D and Renew Europe groups have once again called for guarantees that the majority will be maintained at the centre of the European Parliament’s political spectrum.
Ms von der Leyen has been asked to clarify her position during her State of the Union address on Wednesday 10 September. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)