Articles by Gregorio Sorgi,Max Griera

Politics

Ursula von der Leyen’s dangerous budget balancing act

Bowing to the Parliament's demands shows the new dynamics at play between the EU's main institutions, with von der Leyen paying extra attention to an assembly that now leans further right than ever before and has already tried to bring her down on several occasions. It shows that she needs the Parliament on side, and is prepared to go to great lengths to make sure that happens. MEPs had been restless for weeks about plans for the next seven-year EU budget. Many were furious about how the Commission wanted to handle EU cash for regions and farmers, and they threatened to vote down the plans on Thursday. To head off that rebellion, on Sunday von der Leyen offered several changes to its initial proposal, including introducing a "rural target" for capitals' agricultural spending and giving regional leaders more power to determine how cash is distributed. The compromise showed von der Leyen was prepared to bow to many of the Parliament's demands — a rare move by the Commission at this stage of budget talks. Previous budget negotiations have seen the Parliament all but ignored for large parts of the process. It helped that many of the changes are already on some EU countries' budget wishlists, and would have likely ended up in the text anyway. The changes will now be added to the legal text by the Council, as withdrawing and re-presenting the Commission's proposal would majorly delay the process. Yet many lawmakers are still grumbling that they want a bigger say on how the budget shapes up. “The proposal on the rights of the European Parliament [is] weak. We should get more decision power, [not non-binding] working groups and coffee meetings,” said Green MEP and budget expert Rasmus Andresen. “The big question is if the Council will accept the additional ideas or not.” There have been three motions of no confidence filed against von der Leyen by the Parliament this year and while she defeated them all comfortably, they have exposed deep divisions within the centrist alliance that has long ruled the roost in Brussels. So von der Leyen is paying closer attention to what MEPs want from the Commission.