Good morning. Donald Trump yesterday delayed his tariffageddon threat from tomorrow to August 1. Even so, the EU’s trade negotiator told European capitals last night that Brussels is still aiming to sign a temporary deal with the US president this week.
Today, we report on Ursula von der Leyen’s no-confidence debate yesterday, preview the EU’s annual rule of law report released this afternoon, and reveal a commission trip to Libya.
Warned
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen came out swinging yesterday to crush a parliamentary rebellion against her, but a debate on the motion highlighted growing fractures in the centrist majority she relies on, write Paola Tamma and Andy Bounds.
Context: The no-confidence motion, the first in 11 years against a commission president, was tabled by a far-right MEP.
A vote on Thursday is set to fail, but von der Leyen’s Liberal and Socialist allies that endorsed her second term at the head of the EU executive rounded on her governing record, criticising her European People’s Party (EPP) for voting with the far right to pass legislation.
Iratxe García Pérez, president of the Socialists & Democrats, told the European parliament her party would oppose the motion, but that it “is also the direct result of the failure of [the EPP’s] totally misguided strategy . . . They ask pro-European groups to be responsible while they negotiate strategies with the far right. Sorry, but it’s not OK.”
“You are witnessing the impasse that you and your political family face, by having allowed the EPP to favour alliances of convenience with the extreme right,” said Valérie Hayer, leader of the liberal Renew group.
EPP leader Manfred Weber retorted that his party had sided with centrist partners in 90 per cent of votes, adding: “We have a platform, but not a coalition.”
Von der Leyen, who made an uncharacteristically pugnacious speech, said the motion was a “sinister plot” from “the oldest book of extremism,” dismissing it as “another crude attempt to drive a wedge between our institutions, between the pro-European, pro-democratic forces of this house. And we can never let this happen.”
Simon Hix, professor of politics at the European University Institute in Florence, said the biggest threat to von der Leyen would come from the number of potential abstentions from her own party in Thursday’s ballot.
Chart du jour: War footing
Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, is gearing up for a potential conflict with Russia by reserving space for warships.
Check-up
The EU publishes its annual rule of law scoreboard today, featuring some repeat offenders and a renewed focus on economic competitiveness, writes Laura Dubois.
Context: The European Commission is tasked with assessing member states’ rule of law and the correct implementation of EU law.
This year’s report will have a “stronger focus” on the rules of the bloc’s single market, EU justice commissioner Michael McGrath told the Financial Times ahead of its publication: “The rule of law gives certainty to businesses, confidence to investors, and reassurances to citizens.”
The commission has been criticised for not properly enforcing the rules ensuring that goods, people and services can circulate freely. The number of so-called infringement cases against countries has gone down, and experts have warned that the resulting fragmentation undermines competitiveness.
McGrath said the report would look at “the specialisation of courts and judges to handle commercial cases, measures to prevent corruption in public procurement, transparent funding for the media and the stable regulatory environment necessary for business.”
The report also lists broader concerns about the rule of law. “We cannot ignore that in some member states systemic concerns remain and in a few cases the situation has further deteriorated,” said McGrath.
According to officials briefed on the report, Hungary is among those cases. Budapest has long been condemned for eroding civil liberties, including its recent ban of the capital’s Pride march.
“In critical situations, I am ready to use all tools, including infringement proceedings, to ensure the rule of law is upheld,” McGrath added.
Outreach
EU home affairs commissioner Magnus Brunner travels to Libya today to demand Libyan authorities stop migrants sailing to Europe, writes Laura Dubois.
Context: Arrivals from Libya, particularly in Greece, have increased in recent weeks, prompting Athens to dispatch warships near the Libyan coast.
Brunner is expected to travel with Greek migration minister Thanos Plevris, his Italian counterpart Matteo Piantedosi and Malta’s home affairs minister Byron Camilleri, according to officials briefed on the trip.
The officials said the delegation would visit representatives of both the UN-backed Government of National Unity in Tripoli, and the rival Government of National Stability in Benghazi.
No fresh EU funds are expected to be pledged, but the visit could pave the way for closer co-operation. “Whether there will be additional EU funds allocated will depend on the needs identified during the visit,” said one EU diplomat.
Libyan authorities that receive EU funding have been condemned for their treatment of migrants, which according to the UN could amount to crimes against humanity.
What to watch today
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French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in London for a three-day summit with Sir Keir Starmer.
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EU finance ministers meet in Brussels.
Now read these
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‘Overpopulation of bankers’: Can New York’s boutique banks break Lazard and Rothschild’s grip on Paris?
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Don’t touch my CAP: Brussels is planning to ringfence hundreds of billions of euros of direct subsidies to farmers in its next multiyear budget.
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Plugging the hole: The EU is urgently exploring ways to cover a shortfall of up to $19bn in Ukraine’s budget next year.
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