To reverse bad ratings at home, German liberals have taken the fight for their causes to the EU level, seeking to raise their visibility and distance themselves from Germany’s floundering coalition government.
“Streitbar in Europa”, which translates as pugnacious or combative in Europe, was emblazoned in large letters on a banner behind the stage at a conference of the liberal FDP party at the end of January.
Currently polling at four percent, the party is struggling as pro-business voters are punishing it for being part of the three-way centre-left government coalition during the current economic slump.
Therefore, it is trying to shift blame to the EU for the much-maligned increase in red tape and position itself as a true fighter for the freedom of German businesses and consumers.
More saliently, “combative in Europe” was coined in reference to the FDP’s lead candidate for the EU election, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who has, in recent years, positioned herself as an advocate of a more committed delivery of weapons to Ukraine.
But two other issues have also made the FDP put on its boxing gloves recently: The EU’s corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD) and the new CO2 standards for trucks.
On the first one, resistance didn’t come as a surprise, at least for those who have followed the FDP’s rhetoric over the last months.
Although the responsible German minister, Hubertus Heil (SPD/S&D), strongly supported the law, the coalition agreement between the three government parties already spoke of preventing excessive burdens for companies.
When EU countries agreed on a common position, Germany issued a note calling for the rules for companies to be simplified so that they could reduce their liability risks. This request was not honoured.
It is, therefore, relatively apparent that the FDP, which wants to campaign on a platform of reducing paperwork for companies, would not agree to such a law at this time.
It was more surprising that FDP politicians then said they did not want to kill the law but were open to renegotiating key aspects – although only after a vote of EU ambassadors had to be postponed.
A similar surprise came when the FDP-led transport ministry temporarily blocked the new EU CO2 standards for trucks and buses last week.
Unlike the infamous “combustion engine phase-out” for cars, this draft law always included a back-door to keep the internal combustion engine alive, although only for a very limited number of trucks.
Not enough for Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), who intervened at the last minute in a replay of the row that had ensued over the car standards last year.
Wissing only gave in after he got the exact same concession as last year – a commitment to keep alive trucks running exclusively on climate-neutral synthetic fuels, known as e-fuels.
Critics, mostly the Greens, part of the same ruling coalition, have blamed the FDP for making Germany an unreliable negotiating partner. But perhaps the real problem lies with how lawmaking is done at the EU level.
One thing the FDP has managed to do is politicise Europe, sparking a public debate on how to best approach goals like ensuring human rights abroad and decarbonising transport.
And public debate is too often neglected in the European way of negotiating laws through behind-closed-doors talks, known as ‘trilogues’.
If opinions outside Germany were as clear-cut as their critics like to suggest, the FDP’s resistance would have fizzled out in the corridors of Brussels. The interventions were only so effective because Italy and others had also harboured a secret grudge.
Still, blockades at the last minute are unfortunate. It would be better to have an honest and public debate right from the start and find compromises that can really win a majority.
If the FDP wants to provide service to Europe’s citizens, this is something the party should strive for after the EU election.
The Roundup
The much-delayed reform of the EU’s fiscal rules agreed between the European Parliament and Council over the weekend will hamper the bloc’s ability to make critical investments in green technology and Europe’s defence industry, experts interviewed by Euractiv said.
Christian symbols could feature prominently on the one- and two-euro coins that will enter circulation after Bulgaria joins the eurozone, according to a proposal yet to be agreed at the EU level, where some countries have opposed similar attempts in the past.
The conservative Spanish People’s Party (Partido Popular – EPP) sought on Tuesday to quell the fallout caused by media reports that its conservative leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo would be willing to grant conditional pardons to several Catalan separatist leaders.
France will put on hold the rollout of its national plant protection reduction plan and may adopt an EU measurement indicator to measure a molecule toxicity factor despite criticism from NGOs.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday (13 February) ahead of her trip to Israel that she is concerned about Tel Aviv’s looming military offensive in the Palestinian city of Rafah, striking a more critical tone towards the country than before.
Last but not least, check out this week’s Transport Brief: The same procedure as last year, Mr. Wissing?
Look out for…
- College of Commissioners on Wednesday.
- Commissioner Thierry Breton meets with high-level representatives of the Automotive supply chain in Brussels on Wednesday.
- Commissioner Mairead McGuinness delivers a speech at Eurocommerce Annual CEO Summit on Wednesday.
- Informal meeting of competitiveness ministers (Research and innovation) on Wednesday-Thursday.
Views are the author’s
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic/Alice Taylor]
Source: euractiv.com
