Deforestation: EPP votes with the right, Ursula majority increasingly at risk
Tensions between Populars, Socialists and Liberals escalate a few days before the confirmation of the Commissioners-designate and the vote on the Commission. Europarliament president Metsola tries to reassure: there is still time for a compromise
from our correspondent Beda Romano
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BRUSSELS - At a time of doubts about the solidity of the popular-socialist-liberal majority that must give its support to the next European Commission, on Thursday in Parliament a series of amendments to water down a delicate legislative text, all dedicated to deforestation policies around the world, was approved with the votes of the popular and right-wing parties, casting doubt on the cordon sanitaire that has so far ruled out collaboration with the most radical parties.
The regulation voted on yesterday introduces limits on the ability of European companies to do business in deforestation countries. The text has provoked criticism because it also imposes administrative burdens on small and medium-sized companies. Under pressure from some third countries and some member states, Brussels agreed to postpone the full entry into force of the regulation by one year. In doing so, it was forced to submit a new text.
Some parties took the opportunity of the new law to introduce a series of amendments to the previous regulation, in the desire to dilute the environmental commitments (creating, among other things, a new category of countries with no risk of deforestation). There were 371 votes in favour, 240 against, and 30 abstentions. Those voting in favour were mainly the popular, conservative, patriotic and sovereignist parties, in other words the right and centre-right.
Little does it matter that the text will now have to be negotiated with the Council and could change further. The affair has given a boost to the Socialists and Liberals who have been accusing the Populars of being in cahoots with the Right for days. "This is the first time this has happened on a legislative text. The EPP will have to choose whether to ally with the extreme right or with us," said French Liberal Pascal Canfin, who sees in this vote "the sign of a political crisis in Europe, even if we are not there yet".
In truth, the vote in parliament did not only show the alignment of the centre-right with the right. The Liberals themselves split (29 in favour, 20 against, and 24 abstained, including Pascal Canfin himself and group leader Valérie Hayer). In some ways, this dilutes the political significance of yesterday's vote. There are many splits in the majority, demonstrating how the Green Pact is now a controversial topic.
