He did it again: Manfred Weber’s EPP votes with the far right and blocks the new EU climate law
Dear friends!
They’ve done it again. The EPP Group, the political group led by Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) and Manfred Weber (CSU), is continuing to expand its alliance with the far right in the European Parliament. Today, the EPP voted with the far right to prevent the new EU climate law from being passed before the World Climate Conference (COP) in November. This means that the EU will almost certainly go to the COP without a new climate target, which we as the EU had actually committed to under international law, including with the votes of the EPP, in the Paris Climate Agreement. Trump and his cronies are mobilising against climate protection, and the EPP is joining in.
This shows that the firewall in the European Parliament no longer exists. Manfred Weber and the EPP have long been in alliance with the far right.
The background to this is also significant: Just yesterday, the EPP allowed the role of rapporteur on the EU climate law to go to the ‘Patriots for Europe’ group, the far-right gathering of Austria’s FPÖ, Orbán’s Fidesz and Marine Le Pen’s French RN. They are united by their denial of climate change and their collusion with the fossil fuel lobby.
The role of rapporteur is crucial in European Parliament legislation, as he or she drafts the bill and then negotiates both in committee and in negotiations with the Member States. This means there are many opportunities to block the law.
With today’s vote, the democratic parties of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals have once again tried to save the climate law by negotiating it in an urgent procedure, which would have put a stop to the blockades of the PfE rapporteur.
The fact that the EPP neither prevented a PfE rapporteur nor supported the urgent procedure shows two things:
- The EPP no longer stands by the Paris Climate Agreement.
- The EPP has a de facto alliance with the far right.
Commission President von der Leyen must ask herself how she intends to implement her policies over the next four years with such a group. Today was a very bad day for climate protection, but also for the fight against right-wing extremism.
However, I am convinced that there are still people in the EPP group who do not want to go down this path but have no support within their group. I know these people personally.
That is why I am asking you to write to the EPP MEPs in your region. Tell them that it is wrong to join forces with the PfE to block the climate law.
If thousands of emails are sent, they may have the power to stand up to Weber and his clique. You can find the contact details here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/home
Thank you very much for your support.
Best regards from Straßbourg,
Alexandra Geese