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Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the parliament’s liberal group, told the Financial Times, his party would join other pro-European forces in the aftermath of this week’s EU elections to thrash out a coalition programme for the next European Commission or risk paralysis in Europe’s policymaking until 2024.
“The most important thing will be the programme and not the jobs. We have to agree on the objectives, goals and governing programme of this commission” said Mr Verhofstadt, whose liberal group will team up with French president Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche after the vote.
The parliament’s attempt to dictate the priorities of the new commission marks a break from the past, where Brussels alone had the right to come up with new policies and relied on stable majorities in the European Parliament and among EU governments to see them approved.
But this week’s elections are likely to result in the most fragmented parliament in history. The conservative European People’s party and centre-left socialists — whose politicians have long held the top jobs in Brussels — will lose their joint majority in the parliament for the first time in 40 years, according to polls.
The end of the left/right duopoly, and threat of disruption posed by newly-elected populists — who could form as much as 25 per cent of the parliament — means a new governing majority will have to include new partners like the liberals and the Greens. In turn, these parties have said they will demand written policy promises in return for joining a three or four party alliance to shut out Eurosceptics and help policies pass through parliament.
Mr Verhofstadt said his joint liberal-En Marche group would demand the introduction of transnational MEPs lists, allowing voters to elect pan-European lawmakers rather than just those in their own country.
Philippe Lamberts, co-leader of the EU’s Green party, told the FT the coalition agreement would stop “the far-right nationalists holding the fulcrum of power” when mainstream groups were split over policies.
“The commission will need to remain in the framework of the agreement if they want to retain their majority in the parliament,” said Mr Lamberts. [...]
Full article on Financial Times (subscription required)