“They betray us, but we keep going back to them,” a Socialist lawmaker said.
STRASBOURG — The leaders of Europe’s center-left and liberal groups say the European People’s Party has gone too far in working with the far right. They also say there’s nothing they can do about it.
The Socialists and Democrats, the liberals of Renew Europe and the Greens are choosing to keep calm and carry on after the center-right EPP — the largest group in the European Parliament — leaned on far-right support to approve cuts to green rules.
Yet despite all the acrimony and ultimatums that accompanied the EPP’s breaking ranks, the centrist groups’ strategy is to keep trying to make the relationship work.
“We will continue to lend a hand to the European People’s Party, and we do it out of responsibility with the European Union,” the chair of the S&D group, Iratxe García, said on Tuesday.
Valérie Hayer, chair of the Renew Europe group, said that while the vote was a “grave precedent, and we have to draw the conclusions from that … we would like to keep the format alive, because that’s the only way we can meet the major challenges for Europe and the Europeans.”
Co-chair of the Greens Terry Reintke argued that the Socialists, Liberals and Greens should focus on the files where they have more “leverage” and coordinate better between themselves ahead of controversial votes.
The comments signal an acceptance from the EPP’s centrist allies of the new order of the day: That the center-right party is willing to ally with the right side of the aisle when politically convenient — and the old coalition just has to lump it.
“It’s an abusive marriage,” said an S&D MEP, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to speak candidly about party dynamics. “They betray us, but we keep going back to them.”
Far right the ‘exciting mistress’
Since last year’s EU election, in which the far right made considerable gains, the Parliament’s right-wing majority has teamed up at different levels to push its objectives through.
This week, several files — including a non-binding report on application of EU law and the watering down of a deforestation bill — could pass through a plenary vote with a right-wing majority.
The EPP maintains that it is not actively negotiating with far-right parties, saying it has merely outlined its positions and hopes to secure support with broader right-wing backing.
For some from the centrist coalition, that’s little comfort. “We, S&D and Renew, are the wife cheated on by EPP,” said an official from one of the centrist groups.
The right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists and far-right Patriots groups, they added, “are the exciting mistress EPP sees on the weekend, but they’re getting increasingly upset not to have the ring, the nice house and the labrador.”
Far-right groups have signaled that they want greater recognition for their growing influence. The Patriots’ chief whip, Anders Vistisen, told POLITICO that they expect to co-sign amendments with the EPP on the deportations bill currently under negotiation.
The centrist groups’ slim room for maneuver stems in part from the awkward reality of how the EU political system works.
Because MEPs don’t have the ability to call snap elections, the distribution of power in the Parliament is frozen, no matter their level of animosity and frustration.
The groups also have an inherent interest in protecting their representatives in the EU executive, as the European Commission is appointed by member countries, instead of political parties directly elected by citizens.
This makes it impossible for them to play the role of a real opposition, and leaves the nuclear option — a vote of no confidence against the Commission — a high-risk endeavor.
Asked whether the Socialists would consider such a motion in the longer term, García laughed and evaded the question.
“You are free to [make] all the interpretations you want, but it is not in my intention at the moment to specify this in any way. I am going to do everything possible [so that] that does not happen, but obviously, this group makes itself be respected,” she said.
“If this becomes, as I say, the new normality, I think we are all aware of who is putting the European Union in danger,” García added.