A new majority has emerged in the European Parliament, showing how, in this legislature more than ever, alliances in the Chamber could be variable. The People’s Party managed to get a resolution passed in the Community Assembly by voting together with all the radical right groups: from the Conservatives of Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, to the Patriots for Europe of Viktor Orban, Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen and even together with the Europe of Sovereign Nations of the German AfD.
This is a resolution on Venezuela, which calls on Europe to recognize the opposition leader, Edmundo González Urrutia, as the winner of the elections and therefore the legitimate and democratically elected president. The approval of the text passed with 309 votes in favor, 201 against and 12 abstentions, has sparked condemnation from socialists and liberals who cry scandal over the fact that the populars have allied themselves, even for a non-legislative text, with the most radical part of the right in the Chamber.
The anger of liberals and socialists
The Liberals, in what they called “a symbolic stand against the far-right Patriots group,” did not participate in the vote. “The future of the European Union must be built in the political center. The rise of extremism represents a direct threat to the stability and future of Europe, and it is imperative that all political parties take a stand against it,” said the leader of the liberal Renew Europe group, Valérie Hayer.
“The EPP is showing its true colors, failing to respect the cordon sanitaire and normalizing extremist anti-European groups,” the Socialists wrote in a statement after the group voted against the text. “The EPP has decided to build an agreement on Venezuela with Meloni, Orbán and Le Pen, with the support of the German far right, instead of with pro-European groups,” accused S&D Group Vice President Javi López.
The League rejoices
The Carroccio party instead rejoiced over the approval of the text. “The antidemocratic and illiberal cordon sanitaire put in place by the EU institutions against the League and its allies has been undermined once again. The left wing of the PD, M5S and Avs has been defeated,” wrote the League delegation in a note, in which it claimed that “together with the Patriots for Europe group, we were decisive in getting the European Parliament to approve a resolution presented by the centre-right.”
Variable majorities
Both the Liberals and the Socialists have declared themselves in favor of supporting the Venezuelan opposition, but they criticize what they consider a coup by the Popular Party, which in order to push itself to the point of requesting the recognition of Urrutia has created a new majority in Strasbourg. In fact, with the Chamber composed of 720 deputies, the majority created by the EPP on Venezuela is not a majority that could be stable, but the vote shows that on some legislative measures the Popular Party could find alliances different from that of the alliance that supports Ursula von der Leyen’s commission, an alliance that includes the Popular Party, Socialists and Liberals with the Greens in a sort of external support position.
