The traditional policy of seeking broad consensus in Brussels between the socialist, Christian Democrat and liberal families seems to have come to an end. The dispersion of groups with the emergence of new parties, especially those of the extreme right, has dynamized the majorities, and now it is much more difficult to establish the old tripeyjoks for the machinery of the European Commission to work. The proximity of the next European elections scheduled for a year from now has ended up fueling the partisan struggle to unrecognizable extremes.
This may explain the attack that the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, has launched against the European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus SinkeviÄius, to try to defend the positions of his Spanish partners in the dossier of the national park of Doñana Weber accused the commissioner of wearing “a red shirt to campaign for Sánchez”. The accusation is very serious and ignores the serious situation of Huelva’s wetlands. There are a number of reasons to discuss with the Spanish Government some of its initiatives in Europe, but Weber’s invective ignores the threat that looms over the Doñana National Park.
The electoral struggle cannot ignore such a serious ecological problem. The Junta d’Andalusi reacted at first as it should, assuming that they were ready to rectify the planned plans for Doñana if the EC ruled that they were not well prepared. The reaction of the PPE now is to discuss the performance of the commissioner, in this case the referee of the dossier, whom they accuse of being bought and acting for the benefit of another party. It is a message that may have political benefits for its supporters but does a disservice to the European cause.
Starting to discuss the work of the commissioners by the party or the country they represent will only serve to increase the number of Eurosceptics. The PPE would do well to rectify and, above all, to be more attentive to the future of Doñana than to do electoralism to help the PP.
