Another piece of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Green Deal puzzle has fallen apart: The European Parliament has postponed the stringent “Euro 7” emission guidelines, by two years for cars and four years for trucks. Along with the Euro 7 regulation, the so-called “Ursula majority” in the European Parliament - the coalition that has elected von der Leyen - has fallen apart. The vote to delay Euro 7 included a majority of the People’s Party and the Liberals, as well as one-third of the Socialist factions, joining in with the opposition conservatives and nationalists.
As it becomes clear that the failing von der Leyen won’t get a second mandate, the Brussels elites are maneuvering to recycle her as the next NATO secretary general. That would explain why von der Leyen, who as EU Commission president has no competence for foreign policy, is increasingly taking foreign policy stands on such events as the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Moreover, former Italian Prime Minister and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is rumored to be the elites’ candidate to replace von der Leyen. Draghi, whom von der Leyen had recently appointed to head a commission to study trade measures against Chinese e-cars, gave a speech to the Financial Times Global Boardroom conference on Nov. 8 that sounded like an election platform, in which he promised a quick end to the economic downturn and put the blame for the high inflation on “a deliberate policy by Russia.” Draghi also called for “a deeper Union” to wage “war” for “European values” against so-called “autocracies,” as the oligarchy refers to Russia and China.
The next EU Commission will be elected by the European Parliament that will be voted into office next spring.
