Bellamy, nonetheless, mentioned his Les Républicains (LR) celebration, which is affiliated with the EPP, received’t assist her. “[Von der Leyen] was not our candidate in 2019 however Emmanuel Macron’s,” Bellamy mentioned throughout an interview with radio station France Inter on Tuesday. “LR received’t assist her as a result of her report falls in need of Europe’s expectations.”
Von der Leyen should be formally nominated because the EPP lead candidate, or Spitzenkandidat, throughout a vote on the celebration’s electoral congress in Bucharest, Romania on March 6-7. Whereas the absence of LR assist possible received’t upset von der Leyen’s nomination — she is presently the one candidate and has the assist of the German CDU, the EPP’s largest delegation, in addition to Greek and Polish EPP members — it highlights the advanced nature of EU politics.
Whereas in Brussels the EPP, the Socialists, and the centrist Renew are in a de facto coalition, LR sits with opposition events within the French parliament and is at pains to differentiate itself from Macron’s insurance policies at each home and EU stage.
“On agriculture specifically, the EU has been managed by a majority … which advocated for extra constraints, hurdles and oversight, an agenda which we opposed,” Bellamy mentioned. The 38-year-old conservative underlined the EPP’s opposition to the EU’s nature restoration invoice which led to a few of the legislation’s key factors being diluted.
In 2019, the French president opposed EPP chief Manfred Weber’s candidacy to turn into Fee president. This led to accusations that France was placing an finish to the lead candidate system, beneath which the chief of the primary European political alliance is nominated by the European Council to steer the Fee.
POLITICO’s Ballot of Polls presently exhibits the EPP main the race at a European stage. In France, nonetheless, Bellamy and Les Républicains are polling round 7 p.c — barely above the 5 p.c threshold to acquire MEPs.