Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, and French President of the National, Marine Le Pen, confirmed at an event in Rome that they would not support European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, for a second term, according to Euractiv.
Le Pen gave a video message at the ID Winds of Change convention.
A message for Giorgia: will you support a second term of Von der Leyen or not? I believe so. You owe the Italians the truth; you must say what you will do.
Le Pen also stated that Salvini was the only national-orientated candidate to oppose von der Leyen and thanked those supporting Lega for electing deputies who “will not lie, will not manoeuvre and will be clear, lucid and determined.”
Salvini and Le Pen vowed to get as many members of their party as possible to be elected to the European Parliament in June to support their European Identity and Democracy (ID) group, declaring that they would do everything to prevent von der Leyen (EPP) from being elected for a second term. Commenting on Meloni, Salvini declared:
“In Giorgia Meloni, I have found a friend. Of course, even among friends, there can be different points of view.”
In France, the new ECR member party Reconquête! also announced that it would not support von der Leyen’s candidacy. The head of the Reconquête! list for the European elections, Marion Maréchal, stated:
With our ECR group, made up of 17 nationalities and four governments, we can beat Macron’s group and topple von der Leyen’s centre-left majority.
The French Les Républicains party (EPP), whose list is headed by François-Xavier Bellamy, is also against von der Leyen’s nomination.
