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Ursula von der Leyen power plot on brink of imploding as she’s snubbed by Italy and France


In a resounding blow to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s aspirations for a second term, leaders of prominent right-wing parties in Italy and France have declared their staunch opposition to her candidacy.

Matteo Salvini, the leader of Lega and Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, alongside Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, made their stance clear during an event in Rome.

At the “Winds of Change” convention organised by ID (Identity and Democracy) in Rome, Salvini and Le Pen unequivocally announced their refusal to support von der Leyen’s re-election bid. Le Pen, in a video message directed at Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, pressed for clarity on Meloni’s stance regarding von der Leyen’s candidacy.

“A message for Giorgia: will you support a second term of Von der Leyen or not? I believe so. You owe the Italians the truth; you must say what you will do,” Le Pen said, emphasising Salvini as the sole right-wing candidate opposing von der Leyen.

She expressed gratitude towards those supporting Lega and stressed the need for clear, decisive action.

Salvini echoed Le Pen’s sentiments, affirming his commitment to preventing von der Leyen from securing another term. “The voters who choose Lega will never choose a second term with von der Leyen and the socialists,” Salvini said, dismissing attempts to divide their cause.

Addressing Meloni, Salvini highlighted their alignment, despite potential differences in opinion. “In Giorgia Meloni, I have found a friend. Of course, even among friends, there can be different points of view,” Salvini said, underscoring the continuity of the Italian coalition government until 2027.

Von der Leyen’s perceived support from the Italian Prime Minister, whom she shares a friendly relationship with, stands in stark contrast to Salvini and Le Pen’s opposition. The far-right leaders are adamant in their determination to disrupt von der Leyen’s potential re-election by bolstering their representation in the European Parliament through the Identity and Democracy group.

Mathilde Androuët, RN MEP and president of the ID Foundation, emphasised the significance of ECR’s (European Conservatives and Reformists) stance on von der Leyen’s candidacy, foreseeing it as a pivotal factor in reshaping the EU’s political landscape.

Within ECR, the opposition to von der Leyen is palpable, with parties like Reconquête! in France as well as the EPP’s Les Républicains expressing their refusal to support her candidacy, despite her affiliation with the EPP.

“The symbolic reality is that the EPP representatives of the EU’s second-largest country, France, are refusing to support von der Leyen, even though she also comes from the ranks of the EPP,” Androuët told Euractiv, underscoring the fracture within the traditionally cohesive EPP bloc.

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