Check to the sovereigns. If the European Parliament does not get in the way, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, too prematurely given up for defeat, and French President Emmanuel Macron have won the battle over the nominations and marked a turning point which for the first time brings two women to lead the Old Continent of iron: the German Ursula Von der Leyen will become President of the EU commission in place of Jean-Claude Juncker and the French Christine lagarde will succeed Mario Draghi at the head of the ECB.
Merkel and Macron, although starting from different tactical positions, ended up achieving their objectives: Merkel bringing to the helm of the European Commission, which the Germans consider the true center of gravity of continental power, her loyalist Von der Leyen and Macron installing at the top of the ECB the former General Manager of the International Monetary Fund, who will move in line with Draghi and who above all cuts the road to the German hawk Weidmann of the Bundesbank.
The Belgian liberal Michel will be the new Prime Minister while the Spanish socialist Josep Borrel will be the new High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union.
The Populars, who supported the German Weber, the Socialists – who see Minister Von der Leyen as smoke and mirrors several times – and the Greens, who remain with a handful of flies in hand, are furious and promise battle in the European Parliament.
It's Italy? Conte says he is satisfied for having contributed together with the sovereign bloc of Visegrad to reject the original candidacy proposed by Merkel and Macron to assign the leadership of the Commission to the Dutch socialist Timmermars but above all for having laid the foundations for Italy's acquittal on the accounts public by avoiding the infringement procedure.
In terms of appointments, the Italian budget is not much: Italy will have a vice president and a member of weight (perhaps the competition for a Northern League member) in the new European Commission but if we think that the previous governments had taken home the presidency of the ECB for Draghi, the president of the European Parliament for the forced Tajani and the High Representative for the Union's foreign policy in the person of Mogherini (Pd) the confrontation is merciless for the Lega-Cinque Stelle majority.
Especially since Von der Leyen has already said that Italy will have to clarify its line on migrants and that in economic policy it has a rigorous line while Lagarde, in an interview three months ago, had sent word to expect " realism” from Italy. In short, the sovereigns can also win in Italy but when they play away they do not touch the ball, pace Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio. Once again Merkel and Macron have outwitted them but amateurism, as we know, does not pay in Europe.
However, there is still hope for Italy to obtain an important role in Europe, even if with a name that is probably not very welcome to the Government, given its political color. Among the four candidates for the presidency of the European Parliament for the socialists is David Sassoli (PD). The other eligible candidates are Ska Keller for the Greens, Jan Zahradil for the Conservatives and Sira Rego for the Left. There are no popular candidates.
