BRUSSELS ― Manfred Weber, the boss of Europe’s largest pan-European political party, will seek reelection as its president at an upcoming congress, a party official told Brussels Playbook.
Retaining the helm of the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) would seal the Bavarian politician’s grip on the EPP for another three years, further cementing German control of the constellation of national center-right parties just as Friedrich Merz is expected to become chancellor in Berlin.
Weber has been party chairman of the EPP for the past three years and was reelected as head of its group in the European Parliament earlier this year, a position he has held for over a decade. If he wins at a party congress in April it would allow him to retain control of both the party and the group, a double-hat role that has drawn criticism for concentrating too much power.
As EPP party president, Weber oversees the European conservative parties that belong to the EPP umbrella family, including Spain’s Partido Popular, Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and France’s Les Républicains. As group leader in the European Parliament, meanwhile, he’s in charge of ensuring that lawmakers from those parties vote as a unit.
Despite the controversies around Weber’s dual role, he’s well-placed to win reelection in April.
Weber is fresh from organizing an EPP show of force in Berlin, at which he rallied nine leaders and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in support of Merz.
In the wake of the Berlin gathering, Weber is set to win the support of both the CDU and its sister party, the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), to which he belongs, according to an EPP insider.
The CSU and CDU together command a significant number of delegates who could be counted on to support Weber’s reelection bid in Valencia. The vote is by secret ballot and a simple majority is needed to win.
Manfred Weber to seek reelection as EPP president
Source: Viral Showbiz Pinay
0 Comments