Fitto and Ribera in the new established von der Leyen Commission

Translated by Alessandra Fumagalli 

After lots of negotiations, on Wednesday, November 20th, 2024, the European Parliament confirmed Raffaele Fitto and Teresa Ribera as executive vice presidents of the European Commission, marking a significant step towards the fulfillment of the équipe guided by Ursula von der Leyen. Fitto, Italian politician, has been part of the Italian party “Fratelli d’Italia”, will be responsible for the portfolio of Cohesion and Reforms, while Ribera, Spanish socialite politician, will be responsible for the clean, right and competitive Transition. These nominations, albeit expected, were preceded by strong discussions and political measures that have proved the balance among the Parliament groups. 

The agreement among the European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and Renew Europe was crucial to start the works. However, there was no shortage of disagreements. The EPP objected towards Ribera, asking for a written engagement to dismiss in case of involvement in a juridical inquiry linked with Valencia’s flood. The request was considered wrong by the socialists, who, in answer, waited for the approval of Fitto’s engagement. At the end, the agreement was reached through an unusual formula: the candidates were approved, but with minorance declaration that underlined political divisions. The EPP voted for Ribera, underlining that her engagement would be influenced by higher ethical standards. A similar situation occurs for Fitto, whose engagement saw the opposition of some Socialite’s members, who criticized the commitment of a such relevant portfolio to a representant of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR)

This has shown that the balance among the European political forces is anything but strong. Bas Eickhout, co-president of the Green group, defined the process “a farce of evaluation”, underlining a lack of a common and stable vision among the Parliament groups. On the other hand, Manfred Weber, EPP’s leader, praised the constructive contribution of the ECR, European Conservatives and Reformists group, where the Italian party Fratelli d’Italia belongs, highlighting that “Fratelli d’Italia contributed to form a majority on crucial issues, like the management of migration”. 

The success of the nomination was acclaimed by the respective national governments. Giorgia Meloni described Fitto’s new duty as “a winning for all the Italians”, underlining the strategic importance of the portfolio, that includes key authorizations like agriculture, fishing, transport and tourism. Ribera. on the other hand, stated that “I want to work for a greener and socially equal Europe”, highlighting her engagement for the energy transition. 

Now, the lights are on the European Parliament plenary, where the entire Commission will be approved in the following days. This vote will represent a definite test bed for the Alliance among EPP, S&D and Renew, that will have to show to be able to work together. Only when this will be approved, the Commission will start its mandate, facing crucial challenges like the Green Deal, the economic recovery and the migration policies. The complexity of the negotiations and the fragile balance show the delicate moment that the European Union is living. Fitto and Ribera’s confirmation is not only a goal reached by the respective countries, but also a test for the politics union of the EU in facing the common strategic priorities.

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