Von der
Leyen’s constant power play exasperates EU capitals
Some leaders
have called on new European Council president to help rein in her power grabs.
It’s not the
first time that von der Leyen has gone against one of the two big European
capitals. |
December 19,
2024 4:00 am CET
By Barbara
Moens and Jacopo Barigazzi
https://www.politico.eu/article/ursula-von-der-leyen-power-play-exasperate-eu-capitals/
BRUSSELS —
There is a limit to everything, including Ursula von der Leyen’s reach.
Annoyance is
growing among senior EU diplomats, who are expected to discuss the European
Commission chief’s recent unilateral power moves in between Thursday’s meetings
of the bloc’s leaders. Most recently, von der Leyen decided to sign a landmark
EU trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc — a move that one of the
continent’s most powerful countries, France, hated.
“Von der
Leyen went further than any Commission president before in the interpretation
of her mandate, most recently with the Mercosur decision,” said one EU
diplomat. The diplomat, like others, was granted anonymity to speak candidly
about von der Leyen.
French
President Emmanuel Macron — who ardently opposed the deal as Paris feared it
would undermine farmers and whip up rage against the establishment — will not
attend the summit (this is not linked to the Mercosur deal). His office said
while he will attend another meeting Wednesday in Brussels, he will travel to
the French overseas territory of Mayotte on Thursday that is recovering from a
catastrophic cyclone.
It’s not the
first time that von der Leyen has gone against one of the two big European
capitals, Berlin and Paris. Earlier this year, Brussels slapped duties on
Chinese electric vehicle imports, a move Berlin hated.
And while
new European Council chief António Costa helms his first summit, the
discussions in the corridors will be focused on the Commission president. “The
real conversation will be about von der Leyen, and how far she can go,” said
another EU diplomat.
In her first
five-year term, von der Leyen developed a reputation for making unilateral
decisions, overstepping on her own job description and cutting EU leaders out
of decision-making on key issues such as sanctions against Russia. She doubled
down her grip on the European Commission by diluting powerful portfolios and
dividing them among multiple people, so that the final verdict on key policy
areas rests with her. On top of that, the faltering Franco-German duo are both
domestically focused, which has allowed her to push decisions through despite
French or German vetoes.
“She
steamrolls through decisions,” one EU official said, referring to both her
decisions on Mercosur and EVs.
Need for
leadership
Her
proponents in Brussels, such as the chief of her center-right European People’s
Party in the European Parliament, argued that this is precisely what a true
European leader should do — upholding the European interests above individual
national interests.
Not only is
the European Commission in charge of trade policy, there is also a “need for
leadership,” said Manfred Weber, the chief of the EPP. “In this regard I
welcome and support Ursula von der Leyen for showing leadership in regard to
Mercosur.”
But other
officials are fuming — not only about the deal itself but also about von der
Leyen’s way of operating.
“She can’t
go on for five years doing one move to the right, one move to the left, or one
move to a particular country,” said French MEP Christophe Grudler. “She has to
play the consensus card, not go head to head with this or that country, but
rather to convince them.”
While new
European Council chief António Costa helms his first summit, the discussions in
the corridors will be focused on the Commission president. | POOL photo by
Francisco Seco/AFP via Getty Images
For other
countries, it’s too sensitive to criticize von der Leyen on the record. But
increasingly, some warn there are red lines which shouldn’t be crossed.
In Costa’s
meetings with European leaders ahead of his new role, some leaders asked him to
recalibrate the power balance between the Commission and EU countries, two EU
diplomats said.
Von der
Leyen had a notoriously difficult relationship with Costa’s predecessor,
Charles Michel, but senior EU diplomats are optimistic the cooperation between
von der Leyen and Costa will be smoother. The two have a good understanding and
von der Leyen was in favor of the former Portuguese prime minister landing the
job. Still, von der Leyen’s solo trip to Turkey sans Costa last week raised
eyebrows.
“The
leadership in the European Council is in a shambles and she jumps into the
vacuum. It’s a gamble that she’s willing to take. But it’s a risky gamble.
Knowing how sensitive Mercosur is with the French now, this is almost a public
humiliation,” the first EU official said.
Von der
Leyen will have to make sure she keeps the key countries on her good side if
she wants to succeed in her second mandate, other officials stressed.
The first
diplomat fired a warning shot to von der Leyen about a key challenge still
waiting for her: a deal between the 27 capitals over it’s seven-year budget.
Talks on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in the EU’s jargon are
expected to be thornier than before as the EU struggles to fund both its
increasing defense expenditure and the green transition.
“She needs
an MFF deal for her long-term legacy, and this won’t work without the support
of key member states.”
Giorgio
Leali and Clea Caulcutt contributed reporting from Paris. Camille Gijs
contributed reporting from Brussels. Max Griera contributed reporting from
Strasbourg. Hans von der Burchard contributed reporting from Berlin.
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