Better to complain than to fight

There seems to be nothing capable of stopping the determination of Europe’s centre‑left (meaning, essentially, liberals, greens, and socialists) to make possible, and to support, a solid and stable majority between the European People’s Party and the right and far‑right groups in the European Parliament.

 In a few months’ time, we will once again be voting to elect the President of the European Parliament, and the centre-left has long since given in: it will once again be the popular Roberta Metsola – a figure of modest political stature – who will thus serve three terms, a unique occurrence in a system which, not coincidentally, provides for a term lasting only half a parliamentary term, to prevent one party from dominating, and to encourage change and coalitions. 

Not to disrupt the real backstage power plays it is conducting, the centre‑left accepted this in exchange for a few committee chairmanships, a few secretary posts, and a handful of parliamentary management roles, even though vice‑presidencies (which act on behalf of the president and do not have an independent standing) were at stake. But not the key roles; those remain firmly in the hands of the EPP, from the Secretary General downwards. 

Just as with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the “opposition majority” prefers to play the victim, hurling fierce condemnations at those who scrap climate policies (which, coincidentally, would have been very useful since the arrival of that US president so beloved by the right, who is, however, cutting off Europe’s energy supplies) and at those who fail to uphold human rights or protect the press. The centre-left constantly voices fierce criticism of the actions of an opposing majority, which, however, remains in power precisely because the centre-left lacks the courage to confront the EPP with the need to form a public and formal alliance with the far right. Yet, in doing so, the EPP allows the socialist António Costa to retain the presidency of the European Council.

 It doesn’t matter if all the policies backed by the centre-left are routinely dismissed by the EPP’s president, Manfred Weber, within his alliances; it doesn’t matter if their actual influence (as opposed to fiery statements or non-binding motions) is virtually non-existent: it’s always better to hold posts, even if they count for nothing.