A deal “prepared” by the “oligarchy” of political families: Meloni’s outcry against the new EU leadership

Isolated at the table of European leaders, the Italian Prime Minister, the far-right Giorgia Meloni, attacked on Thursday night the “pre-cooked” process to appoint the top of the EU and what she called the “oligarchy” of the three great European political families – popular, social democrats and liberals – who brought to the meeting a pact with the high officials already tied up. The Italian has felt humiliated because she was not counted on for being part of an ultra family and decided to abstain in the appointment of the conservative Ursula von der Leyen to preside again over the European Commission. Her anger went further by voting against the Portuguese socialist António Costa to head the European Council and against the Estonian liberal Kaja Kallas as head of European diplomacy.

The trio to lead EU policies from now on, home to some 450 million people, at a tumultuous time and in the midst of the rise of the far right, received the support of the vast majority of leaders (only the Hungarian national populist Viktor Orbán opposed Von der Leyen). But what happened with Meloni, the political tug-of-war in the European Council, an institutional body, is a sign of what could happen in the next legislature. And even more so if Marine Le Pen’s far right manages to form a government in France after the early legislative elections this Sunday and the next July 7 in the second round.

The appointments were made on Thursday, at midnight, without her support. These strong messages were her way of showing her discontent with the process, but also a message to Von der Leyen, who she hopes will grant her an important economic vice-presidency for her country in the next community legislature, if the European Parliament confirms the appointment of the president of the European Commission next July. “Meloni made very strong comments about how everything had been done and embarrassed many leaders in the room,” says a high-ranking community source.

The debate on the top posts, which had been heated in recent days by Meloni’s criticism of negotiations that excluded her European family, the European Reformists and Conservatives (ECR), lasted almost two hours. At that point, in the European Council room in Brussels, Meloni spoke several times of “oligarchy”. “She came to say that the method was not correct, that everything was pre-cooked by three political families that are no longer the main ones, because the liberals are no longer the third after the European elections, but now it is her political family,” argued the Italian leader, according to a diplomat present at the debates. “Her message is that it was not she who divided the European Council, but those who did not count on her,” she continued.

After the meeting, which was full of acrimony, the Italian government said that its abstention from nominating Von der Leyen had been pragmatic and a way of not facing from opposing positions the “open negotiations on Italy’s role”, that is, which portfolio will correspond to its country, the third largest economy in the EU and a founding country of the community club. The problem, says a community source, is that Von der Leyen is promising almost the same portfolios to different member states; there are several who want a substantial economic post.

The German conservative must now receive confirmation from the European Parliament. On Thursday night, among the thanks, Von der Leyen once again emphasized that he will try to ensure the majority that he needs with his traditional alliance, popular, social democrats and liberals, who are, in addition, those who have supported his appointment; but he also repeated that she will meet with everyone she can. The three groups that a priori support it add up to 399 MEPs, 38 more than necessary. But there will be leaks, no one doubts that. There are always them in the parliamentary voting method for the ratification of the Presidency of the Commission, by secret vote. “There are a lot of pressures,” an outgoing parliamentarian justified weeks ago.

Attracting Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy – a party with neo-fascist roots that has 24 MEPs – would give Von der Leyen a more relaxed approach to the vote in Strasbourg in mid-July. The Greens (54 votes) could also be very useful. “It is about convincing, if possible, a large majority for a strong Europe,” Von der Leyen said at a press conference. “This is what I will work for,” she added.

The problem is that you cannot add them together: the blanket is not that long. If the German looks to her right, she will lose to her left and vice versa. This Friday, a well-versed Brussels corridors, the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, made it clear on social network X. The former president of the European Parliament, belonging to the popular family and allied in the transalpine Executive with Meloni, has asked that more attention be paid to the ultraconservatives (such as ECR, the Italian’s family) and not to the Greens. This is and will be Von der Leyen’s great dilemma in the next legislature.

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