EPP chief Manfred Weber, trying to bridge the divide within his party, described this week’s disagreements as “discussing the issues among friends.”
But he didn’t shy away from explaining why von der Leyen’s proposals had upset sections of his own side.
“We are a mayor’s party so we have the overwhelming part of our mayors and regional leaders in the EPP family ― and we are also a farmers’ party,” he said. “And in both aspects, we are not yet fully satisfied with the national reform program, where we concentrate decisions on the EU budget in the capitals.”
To quell the brewing revolt, the Commission has now agreed to hold formal talks with key members of the EPP. Budget commissioner Piotr Serafin, agriculture chief Christophe Hansen and regions commissioner Raffaele Fitto pledged to set up dedicated working groups with EPP MEPs Karlo Ressler, Herbert Dorfmann and Andrey Novakov on agriculture, payments to poorer regions, and the overall structure of the budget.
“There’s a problem with the architecture” of the Commission’s proposal, “it’s simply not good,” EPP agriculture coordinator Dorfmann told POLITICO. “Every other coordinator in the agri committee, not just me, opposes it. We’re the lawmakers. If the Commission proposes something without a majority, it has to change.”
A meeting of group budget and agriculture lead lawmakers with Serafin and Christophe on Tuesday turned heated, according to two EPP officials with knowledge of the discussions. A late dinner that same day with Serafin, Hansen, party bosses and von der Leyen herself did little to cool tempers, they said.