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BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she is willing to work with MEPs from Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party after the EU election in June, arguing it’s needed to keep the bloc on a pro-European course.
“She is clearly pro-European, against Putin, she’s been very clear on that one, and pro-rule of law, if this holds, and then we offer to work together,” von der Leyen, who is campaigning for another five-year term as European Commission chief, said of Meloni during an election debate hosted by the European Broadcasting Union at the European Parliament on Thursday.
Von der Leyen, and her center-right European People’s Party, have already hinted at the prospect of cooperating with Meloni’s EU lawmakers, after an election in which the current parliamentary majority formed of the EPP, Socialists and liberals is expected to become slimmer.
Pressed on Meloni’s rollback of LGBTQI rights, von der Leyen said she had a “complete different approach” but argued that Europe would be weaker without Meloni’s support and suggested that the Greens are not a reliable partner when it comes to key votes.
Von der Leyen — if nominated for another five-year term — will need the support of a majority of MEPs to clinch the job.
Von der Leyen made a distinction between formally working with entire political groups of MEPs — such as the hard right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group that Meloni’s party belongs — and working with individual MEPs.
The Socialists’ lead candidate for the EU election, Nicolas Schmit, criticized von der Leyen’s approach, describing ECR as “not democratic” and telling her: “We need clarity and not ambiguity.”
The EPP has been seen to be courting the Brothers of Italy in recent years, raising the prospect that Meloni’s MEPs might even join the EPP after the election. Von der Leyen herself has made some high-profile visits to Meloni in Italy.
Louise Guillot contributed reporting.
