Talking Europe interviews the boss of the largest and oldest group in the European Parliament, the centre-right European People's Party. Manfred Weber is a veteran of the EU assembly, having first been elected nearly twenty years ago, and he is an important player in German politics, in the conservative Christian Social Union. He missed out on the job of EU Commission president in 2019, but does not seem to have given up on that ambition. We start the discussion with the European elections scheduled for June 2024, which could shake up the bloc's political scene.
Weber sounds upbeat about the EPP's chances in next year's European elections. "We have seen success by our national friends, by the national pillars of the EPP. We’ve seen that in the north of Europe, in Finland, in Sweden, and in Ireland. We also have centre-right governments in two Baltic countries. And now, to add to that, we have the success of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Greece. In these times of uncertainty, of war, of economic challenges, I think our offer is attractive."
Weber addresses speculation about possible future deals between the EPP and the European Conservatives and Reformists, which contains elements that are commonly considered to be far right. "We won't work with far-right extremists, that is crystal clear," Weber responds. "Everyone who is a partner for the EPP must meet three basic criteria. They must be pro-European. They must be pro-Ukraine. And they must be pro-rule of law. That excludes cooperation with France's Le Pen, with the AfD in Germany, with PiS in Poland." (It is worth noting, however, that Weber's group used to include Viktor Orban's Fidesz, which Brussels did not consider to be pro-rule of law.)
Asked about his own political ambitions, Weber says: "If the EPP becomes again the biggest party in Europe, then we have a democratic right to ask for the most important post, and that is the presidency of the European Commission. We will do our best to keep the post within our political family. But as a matter of respect, we have to first see what Ursula von der Leyen's intentions are. She hasn't said what her commitments are yet."
Weber has strong words for French President Emmanuel Macron on the question of China and Taiwan. "It’s a tragedy that we don’t speak with one voice," he laments. "The trip by Ursula von der Leyen and Emmanuel Macron to China turned into a diplomatic disaster. The interview of Emmanuel Macron showed Europe's hesitancy. To say publicly that Taiwan is not a European issue – I’m sorry, but 90 percent of all semiconductors are coming from Taiwan, so even from a purely economic point of view, Taiwan is highly important. For Macron to underline that we need more distance from our American friends – sorry, but without the Americans we will not win the fight for democracy and freedom. We need a common approach at the European level and I expect from the June EU Council that EU leaders will agree on one policy towards China. We cannot continue like this with the split that we have. And we have to de-link our dependency towards China and look to alternatives. We have to look to South America, to Japan, to India, to Canada. We need a free trade zone of the democracies of the world."
Also on the June EU Council, Weber says he expects strong action on migration. "We are sleepwalking in another migration crisis," he asserts. "The numbers are going up through Italy; also through the Balkan route. That’s why I expect our leaders at the June EU summit to act, not only to talk. That means solving the issue from a legislative point of view. We now have a good basis. There is a readiness, there is a momentum to close this file, and we have to close it before the European elections. The principles are clear. We have to decide at the external border: does someone have a chance of staying, or is there no chance? If there is no chance, then he must immediately leave. And if someone has the right to stay, then he must benefit from solidarity between EU members within the European Union."
On the energy transition and the tensions over that issue in the German governing coalition, Weber says: "I'm not happy about the idea to forbid the combustion engine for our cars, for example. Why should a politician regulate a technology? Or tell people what they should use in their own house? Why is the European majority going against nuclear energy, as an option for producing electricity? It’s climate-neutral, and if France wants to do it, then let’s do it. We have to do things in a pragmatic way, not in an ideologically driven way. And what I see from the Greens in the 'traffic light' coalition in Germany, is that they are doing ideological politics."
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Programme produced by Isabelle Romero, Sophie Samaille and Perrine Desplats
