First rift in von der Leyen’s majority

Good morning from Brussels,

A fight over key positions in the European Parliament’s research panel and working groups has sparked a major spat between influential lawmakers from the centre-right EPP and the Greens.

The Greens, who are pro-EU and contributed to the reelection of Ursula von der Leyen as the EU Commission president, were excluded from the post-sharing arrangement in the ITRE committee.

The jobs were once again reserved for the centrist majority (EPP, S&D, Renew) despite the Greens being told otherwise.

The Greens – with the EU Left - voted together with hard right and far-right groups to overturn the allocation, resulting in a political clash.

Euractiv’s Nikolaus Kurmayer spoke with involved MEPs and explained that the controversy comes just ahead of Commissioners' hearings, where trust among pro-EU political groups is crucial in exchange for passing the EU’s new executive.

Meanwhile, Magnus Lund Nielsen has the details about a meeting on Wednesday of EU Parliament political leaders who will decide which parliamentary committees will hear which commissioners designate and establish a timetable for the upcoming hearings.

As Europeans scramble to find a unified response to the escalating tensions in the Middle East, the failure to publish a joint statement on Lebanon has yet again laid bare disagreements between EU member states vis-à-vis Israel.

Meanwhile, Iran launched on Tuesday a major missile attack against Israel, with Tel Aviv and Washington promising to retaliate against Tehran as fears of a wider war intensified.

Last but not least, the Council of the European Union calls for increased transparency around EU cybersecurity certification schemes developed by the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), according to draft conclusions seen by Euractiv.

PARIS

Michel Barnier set out a series of policy priorities spanning spending cuts, immigration, health and more in a wide-ranging speech on Tuesday, with nudges and nods to Brussels that France was back under control. Read more.

New French PM names mental health as top government priority for 2025. Mental health will be one of the main priorities of the new French government in 2025, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier told French MPs during his speech on general policy on Tuesday. Read more.

///

BERLIN | PARIS

Macron and Scholz meet in Berlin to discuss EU politics. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss “topics surrounding European and international affairs” when they meet in Berlin on Wednesday, a German government spokesperson told journalists last week.

The meeting will occur before Friday’s EU member states’ vote over whether to impose tariffs on Chinese electric cars, an issue on which Germany and France have diverged. The escalating conflict in the Middle East and the imminent formation of the new European Commission are also on the agenda.

Following his meeting with Scholz, Macron will give a speech at the Berlin Global Dialogue, an economic forum. (Nick Alipour | Euractiv.de)

LONDON

The Brief – Starmer’s EU-UK ‘reset’ faces reality check after botched divorce. As UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first official meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes place in Brussels on Wednesday, an unfamiliar optimism is in the air. Read more.

ATHENS

Greek leftist politicians have reacted strongly to France’s Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right Patriots for Europe group's participation in an event in Athens to discuss democracy in the EU. Read more.
///
ROME

Italian lawmakers to question car giant Stellantis. The long-simmering crisis at the world's fourth-largest carmaker has now reached a critical point, with lawmakers from the opposition and ruling parties set to question CEO Carlos Tavares on 11 October. Read more.

WARSAW

The latest poll shows that Poland’s far-right Confederation Party has gained the most support among the parliamentary parties following the floods that struck the country's southern regions. Read more.

///

PRAGUE

Czechia’s Lipavský to remain in office despite government shake-up. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský will stay in the government despite a reshuffle that saw his party, the Czech Pirate Party, pull out of the ruling coalition. Read more.

///

BRATISLAVA

Slovak MEPs divided over Brussels’ possible move to freeze EU funds. Slovak MEPs are sharply divided over the European Commission's possible move to freeze its EU funds amid concerns over the rule of law, with ruling party members condemning the move as politically motivated while the opposition remains divided. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria, which has not yet sanctioned any Russian assets, does not have an accurate picture of the scale and nature of Russian investment in the country's economy, Justice Minister Maria Pavlova said in response to a parliamentary question. Read more.

***

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Martina Monti, Alice Taylor-Braçe]