Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), and Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leaders, hold a press conference. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

EICKHOUT, Bas (Greens/EFA, NL)

press conference

REINTKE, Terry (Greens/EFA, DE)

Greens/EFA

Press briefing by Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), and Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leaders

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/79433621/1732529221399_I264403Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader Good morning, everyone. I see a couple of people that we already saw yesterday, so I do think you, you know, a bit on what we have been doing yesterday as a group. So this is about the commission vote. Of course, we can talk about a lot of topics that are also in the plenary, but I also have the feeling that you're mostly interested about the vote on the commission tomorrow. So we're going to we're going to focus on that as well. But of course, any other question is always welcome.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader But just on the discussion we were having in the group yesterday, and I think we said it yesterday already, and it cannot be stated more enough, is that how difficult also this group discussion was and how difficult the decision was going to be. And we knew that from the start as well. I think what is very important to stress again and again is that on all the arguments that we were sharing with each other, we were very much in agreement and there was no disagreement within the group on the pros and cons of this decision to be taken.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader And let me be very clear, all the reasons to be against is if we are looking at Fitto as an executive Vice-President. And we as Greens will always fight that and we will keep on being critical on that and that will never change because we still think that this was a wrong decision by the President and we still think that is and it would be better not to have him as an executive Vice-President. But we also see that unfortunately, also in the parliament, there was a majority to accept him as an executive vice president, which we did not. We still voted against Fitto.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader I think, secondly, what we have seen is a pretty disgraceful process in the Parliament, which also gives all the reason to say : we stay away from that. And I think we also clearly did that from the parliamentary procedure last week, how things were handled, how national politics took over the Brussels arena.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader How also Manfred Weber allowed how national politics was taking over the European debates. We saw more. It sometimes felt we are in a Spanish parliament and not in a European Parliament. I really think that that needs to be done some decent and thorough soul searching on what happened there in the Parliament and we will remain critical on that.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader However, all the arguments that were shared also yesterday in the group, it is also very clear that if we are looking at the program, the political guidelines and the mission letters, but also in the hearings, some further commitments we got. We do see that there is a commission that wants to continue the Green Deal that we are seeing a lot of topics where we going to work on that, pushing forward the Clean Industrial Act, circular economy, working on climate adaptation, working on 2040 targets, including renewables.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader All these elements are clearly things that we want to work on as Greens as well, also on the rule of law. I don't think we have had so clear mission letters on strengthening the rule of law and where this Commission is at least promising to be more vocal and than ever before, which is also absolutely needed in countries like Hungary or Italy.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader So in that sense, we do feel that there is enough. Also in the program where we want to work with this commission. And that was of course also an important one. And the last important element, of course, in the exchange we had is that it is also very clear that Ursula von der Leyen is distancing herself from Manfred strategy. I know this morning that Manfred said, of course, that he's super happy with a broad majority. Well, he has to.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader He tried to kick the greens out and he didn't manage that. And then, of course, he's saying, I'm very happy. I have a broad majority. This is Manfred Weber adapting to the new reality, a reality where also Ursula von der Leyen made very clear "for me the coalition I want to work with is the pro-Europeans, and that's the three and the Greens". And that is also exactly where we have set in July when we determined our vote on her that that is the only stable majority that we can foresee. And that is also exactly one of those arguments that we shared.

Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Greens/EFA Group Leader I think all those arguments put together, I think it then depends on how you weigh them separately. And that also led to a group where we will see also tomorrow clearly delegations that will vote again still. But we have and we expect also tomorrow to have a small majority in favor of this commission. And now it's about time to start working.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader Maybe picking up on that. I think one of the things that we obviously also took into consideration is if we leave this room here and if we go out there is currently a debate close to my home in a steel mill where thousands of steelworker jobs are going to be lost. Very likely. I mean, the trade unions are still standing up to it.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader But we see the developments in the world and the economic situation that we are in. We see climate change becoming more and more destructive. We see Donald Trump being elected to the White House. We already see the impact that this has. We see some of the bloodiest days of the war in Ukraine.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader And obviously, the question on whether the European Union, with a pro-European majority, stands behind the commission and will be key, and whether we are ready to act in these moments, because we have said it before and we are staying on this course. That only with a pro-European majority of the center. And as was very clearly stated, in Ursula Von der Leyen's communication yesterday, this excludes the ECR.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader And we need to be ready for the next five years. And now you are going to tell us. Yeah, but do you have security that this is going to work? We don't. We do not have a 100% certainty. But if you know this Parliament just a little bit, you also know that there are things that are not as certain and stable as they are, for example, in national parliaments.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader But we with the group and with a small majority and there are very considerable arguments also, obviously for the other positions, but with a small majority, we want to take on this task. We are ready to play ball. And after I would say a very detrimental situation that we had last week where basically the three groups, together with ECR, waved through candidates like, for example, Fitto and Varhelyi, through the the evaluations after the committee hearings.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader We then had interactions with Ursula Von der Leyen. Again, we had negotiations with her because we said as Greens, we think the situation is so serious that we want to go the last step and see whether there is a chance that we can support this commission still. Bass has outlined, and these negotiations and what in the end the package deal look like, what were the issues that were put on the on the scale, so to say. And yes, there are different views in our group when we come together on how this has to be weighed.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader And I think it also partly depends still and I'm as a very federal European-minded person I'mnot happy about that, but there is still obviously a national background to how these things are being discussed. However, and with a small majority, we said we want to take on this battle. It's not going to be easy. It's going to be an uphill battle in every single decision that we take. And it certainly doesn't mean that our group is always going to stand behind what comes from the Commission.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader But we believe that in the current context, with the things that we got after in the negotiations, with additional reassurances that we got on the rule of law, and at least this majority will be voting in favor of this Commission. As Bass said, it was not an easy decision making process and I think is also not going to be an easy debate from now on.

Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group Leader But one thing was very clear, that we have respect for each other's opinions. And I think that this is something that gives me a lot of hope and that we will work together on this basis and that as a group, we will remain united. Of course, fighting the far right, but also trying everything we can to put forward the Green Deal, more social justice and rule of law inside of the European Union.

Question about the narrow majority and the divisions in the Greens.

Question about the reassurance received on the rule of law.

Question about the posts she offers to some people. And question on will the Greens will participate to the majority on migration for example.

Question about How they are able to support this Commission with a prominent position for the ECR?

Question about the vision of Von der Leyen on Fitto.

Question about the consideration of the group on Fitto being extreme right.

Question about the timing of the negociations and question about the position of Von der Leyen in EPP.

Question about believing Ursula Von der Leyen on the coalition.