{"id":425238,"date":"2025-04-29T20:25:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T18:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/2025\/04\/29\/valencia-congresso-ppe-manfred-weber\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T11:44:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T09:44:47","slug":"in-valencia-the-most-right-leaning-epp-to-date-turns-again-to-manfred-weber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/2025\/04\/29\/in-valencia-the-most-right-leaning-epp-to-date-turns-again-to-manfred-weber\/","title":{"rendered":"In Valencia, the most right-leaning EPP to date turns (again) to Manfred Weber"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels -No one expected any particular twists and turns from the European People’s Party<\/strong> congress in Valencia, which crowned the EPP leader,<\/strong> the Bavarian Manfred Weber,<\/strong> for the second time as party chief. Dolors Montserrat<\/strong>, number two of the Spanish Populares, will most likely be confirmed as secretary-general<\/strong>. There could be a\u00a0hint of suspense regarding the election of vice presidents<\/strong> since there are more candidates than positions.<\/p>\n

However, there was one rather significant\u00a0setback: yesterday’s\u00a0massive power outage<\/strong>\u00a0paralyzed the entire Iberian Peninsula<\/a>, stranding several Christian Democratic leaders on their way to the coastal city and prompting others to cancel their participation. All this while the shadows of responsibility for the flood disaster<\/strong> that struck\u00a0Valencia in October loom heavily over the heads of Spanish executives.<\/p>\n

The two-day European People’s started today<\/a> (April 29) and will end tomorrow. In terms of content, the recipe of the EPP is the same, namely that of a center-right party\u00a0leaning more and more to the right. Cracking down\u00a0on unlawful immigration<\/strong>, focusing on the economy<\/strong> and competitiveness<\/strong> with accompanying regulatory deregulation, a crusade against the Green Deal<\/strong>, and renewed attention to\u00a0defense and <\/strong>security<\/strong>, starting with support for Ukraine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

However, the issues are not what the Valencia Congress is about. The 900 or so delegates voted to anoint Manfred Weber <\/strong>as the party’s single\u00a0helmsman<\/strong>. It was merely a formality, as\u00a0no alternative candidates challenged him<\/strong>. Even though semi-unknown to the general public, the 52-year-old Bavarian is one of the most powerful figures in European politics.\u00a0EPP group leader in the European Parliament<\/strong> in Strasbourg\u00a0since 2014\u200b, Weber has also been president of the pan-European party <\/strong>since 2022 when he succeeded Polish Donald Tusk.<\/strong> Ultimately, with 502 in favor\u00a0and 61 against among the 563 valid votes cast, he was confirmed for a second three-year term.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Manfred<\/a>
EPP president and group leader Manfred Weber (photo: Laurie Dieffembacq\/EP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the overwhelming success of the Populars at the European elections<\/strong> last June, Weber seems intent on moving toward a substantial merger between the two offices he holds to concentrate power<\/strong> within the Christian Democratic family further in his own hands. He is one of the principal\u00a0architects of the EPP’s\u00a0slide to the right<\/strong>, the mastermind pulling the strings of those shifting alliances that, in the House, have seen the center-right align\u00a0with the forces of the radical and Euroskeptic right<\/strong> in what has been renamed the\u00a0“Venezuela majority<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

The Weber line has found a solid\u00a0ally in the Partido Popular (PP)<\/strong> – the Spanish member of the EPP that in Strasbourg boasts the group’s third-largest delegation<\/strong> with 22 MEPs (after the 31 Germans and 23 Poles). Still, some grudges are brooding in the party. Starting\u00a0with Poland’s\u00a0Civic Platform (PO)<\/strong>, Tusk’s party, which\u00a0strongly opposes any flirtation with the ultra-right.<\/p>\n

For supporters and critics of the “Weber line<\/strong>,” the motivations\u00a0are mostly tied\u00a0to domestic dynamics. For\u00a0the Polish PO, the problem is that its arch-enemies of the PiS sit in the ECR group. For the\u00a0Spanish PP, the problem is the extreme polarization of domestic politics, where the Populares are, in fact, at war with the Socialist Party (PSOE)<\/strong> of Premier Pedro S\u00e1nchez and, in this battle, often and willingly ally\u00a0with the VOX\u00a0neo-Francoists.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Be that as it may, the time has not come for\u00a0Weber’s leadership to be called into question. In the room, almost all the VIPs of the European center-right,<\/strong> including those from outside the EU, supported\u00a0the Bavarian helmsman. From the head of the EU executive, Ursula von der Leyen<\/strong>, to the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola<\/strong>, via Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis<\/strong>, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker<\/strong>, German Chancellor in waiting<\/i>\u00a0Friedrich Merz,<\/strong> and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani<\/strong>. Guests from non-member countries include Moldovan President Maia Sandu<\/strong> and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Peace in Europe requires that we take much greater responsibility for our own defense<\/strong>,” the commission chair said from the stage, reiterating that “we must continue to stand with Ukraine<\/strong>” against Russia’s aggression. On the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump<\/strong>, von der Leyen noted that “they are like taxes<\/strong>” as “they harm both consumers and businesses<\/strong>.” At the same time, she also pledged to protect farmers and agricultural production<\/strong> as best she could in the 27 member states.<\/p>\n

\n

Thank you for the warm welcome in Valencia.<\/p>\n

During the massive power outage, people in Spain & Portugal showed incredible solidarity and resilience.<\/p>\n

I want to thank the police, firefighters & traffic controllers.<\/p>\n

We will work for better energy security & preparedness in Europe pic.twitter.com\/sdMvdEeV0b<\/a><\/p>\n

– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There are, however, also some notable\u00a0absences<\/strong>. First among them was that of the host, the popular governor of the Valencian Autonomous Community<\/i>, Carlos Maz\u00f3n<\/strong>. In any case, a large crowd of protesters rallied to demand his resignation, which did not take place despite the disastrous handling of the late October floods<\/strong>, in which,\u00a0exactly six months ago,<\/a>\u00a0over\u00a0230 people lost their lives.\u00a0By another grim coincidence, the Feria Valencia<\/strong>, the venue of the People’s Congress, was used as a makeshift obituary<\/strong> to deposit the bodies in the aftermath of the catastrophe temporarily.<\/p>\n

Rounding that tragic event was a ferocious political battle between Valencia, Madrid, and Brussels<\/strong>, from which the alliance<\/strong>\u00a0between the Populares<\/i> and Weber\u00a0<\/strong>clearly emerged. That same alliance,\u00a0for days,\u00a0held hostage<\/a> the approval of the second von der Leyen term<\/strong>\u00a0because of cross vetoes on\u00a0Teresa Ribera<\/strong> and Raffaele Fitto<\/strong>\u00a0as commissioner candidates. Although the Spanish socialist was later “approved” by MEPs (as were all the other commissioners), the PP delegation in Strasbourg voted against von der Leyen<\/strong>‘s reinstatement in December as payback for not replacing Ribera, who they said was responsible for the carnage in Valencia.<\/p>\n

Alberto N\u00fa\u00f1ez Feij\u00f3o, leader of the PP and head of the opposition to the S\u00e1nchez government<\/strong>, was also supposed to be absent, so much so that\u00a0MEP Esteban Gonz\u00e1les Pons delivered\u00a0<\/strong>the opening speech of the event in his place. Eventually, Feij\u00f3o showed up and spoke to the audience,\u00a0introduced as “the next Spanish premier<\/strong>.” Also due to yesterday’s events, the resigning Portuguese premier,\u00a0Lu\u00eds Montenegro,<\/strong> did not show up.<\/p>\n

\"Manfred<\/a>
From left: the leader of the European Populars, Manfred Weber, and the head of the Spanish Partido Popular, Alberto N\u00fa\u00f1ez Feij\u00f3o, at the EPP headquarters in Brussels, April 9, 2025 (photo: Francesco Bortoletto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Valencia, the solid alliance between Feij\u00f3o and Weber<\/strong>\u00a0was made clear\u00a0by the confirmation of Dolors Montserrat<\/strong>, who has been the\u00a0deputy group leader of the EPP in Strasbourg, as secretary-general of the pan-European People’s Party<\/strong>. The vote will be held tomorrow (April 30). However,\u00a0even in this case, it is a formality as no other contenders exist. Weber defended her appointment, announced by the two leaders earlier this month<\/a>, as a key step toward a necessary “politicization” of the EU<\/strong>. Montserrat, who is considered a “hawk” for her intransigent positions, will replace the Greek Thanasis Bakolas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

French Fran\u00e7ois-Xavier Bellamy<\/strong>\u00a0was also confirmed as party treasurer <\/strong>today. Finally, tomorrow, delegates will elect the 10 vice presidents<\/strong>. Vying for those seats are 12 candidates —<\/strong> including the Forza Italia leader Tajani —<\/strong> so someone will necessarily be left out.\u00a0Some names are seen as already “locked in,” but the rumors circulating in the last few hours do not agree on who can be considered safe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 52-year-old Bavarian has been confirmed as president of the European Christian Democrats for a second three-year term, further tightening his grip on the EU’s main political force. And strengthening the axis with his hosts, the Spanish Populares<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7876,"featured_media":425234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":""},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25681],"tags":[25747,30972,29726,31115,31116,26238,28890,26990,26341],"class_list":["post-425238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-alberto-nunez-feijoo-en-2","tag-carlos-mazon-en","tag-epp-congress","tag-floods-valencia","tag-manfred-weber-en-2","tag-popular-party-en","tag-ppe-and","tag-valencia-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7876"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=425238"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":425288,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425238\/revisions\/425288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=425238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=425238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=425238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}