It is difficult to witness a convergence of positions between the Italian populist – and current Minister of Giorgia Meloni– Matteo Salvini and Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (PPe) in the European Parliament. Almost everything opposes them, except the hatred they feel towards Frans Timmermanns, the all-powerful vice-president of the European Commission in charge of implementing the European Green Deal. Salvini, for absolutely incompatible political ideas; Weber, mainly because of the defeats suffered at the hands of the tough Dutch politician.
For this reason, the announcement made by Timmermans last Thursday of leaving Brussels to head a left-wing coalition (Labor + Greens) in the Dutch general elections next November has produced some relief throughout the European right – and not only in Brussels – the populist, of course, but also the moderate.
WeberFor the moment, he is silent, but he knows that he will not shed tears for the departure of his most bitter adversary in Brussels. Salvini, no: in a tweet, spoke clearly: «He will not be missed. How much damage has this man done! We are counting on the Dutch voters to treat him as he deserves ».
The Dutch populist was even more forceful Geert Wilders, who will face Timmermans in four months. Frans Timmermans is the worst thing that can happen to the Netherlands. A Sigrid Kaag (former Dutch Finance Minister) with a beard. For the maximum climatic and nitrogen madness, for more EU, for more diversity (…) the total collapse of the Netherlands. (…) ”, she tweeted.
It is true that the interested party has done everything possible to make enemies with the right in the Old Continent. For this he has openly used ecology through the European Green Pact. In fact, he is leaving Brussels in a bittersweet way: the European Parliament has ended up adopting his controversial Nature Restoration law, although amputated in essential aspects.
small victory
For timmermans It is a small victory in the sense that it has once again twisted the arm of a Weber who had promised to knock down the regulations: he lacked 16 votes. 15 “traitors” are part of the group he leads. But it is a defeat to the extent that the adopted text only preserves from the essential aspects of the original the commitment to restore at least 20% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, in accordance with the target set at the COP15 on biodiversity in Montreal.
The other pillars of the project have been suppressed, beginning with the entirety of article 9, relating to Agriculture. Others have been severely qualified. For example, with regard to the seabed: it is no longer a question of imposing obligations of result, but only obligations of means. Member States are asked to restore 25,000 km of watercourses by removing obsolete barriers: small dams that have fallen into disuse.
the amendment
The European Parliament has managed to introduce an amendment that contemplates a non-application of the text in certain cases: its objectives would be postponed if this legislation delayed the construction of housing, especially social housing, or renewable energy projects in one or several Member States.
The same would happen if the text affected food prices by more than 10% over a year or if agricultural production decreased by 5% over a year. If only one of these conditions is met, the text ceases to apply. Who has inspired this amendment? The Dutch Christian Democrat Esther de Lange, a staunch enemy of Timmermans. Convincing proof that the agricultural and ecological theme will focus the fierce electoral battle that is coming in the Netherlands.
