The Patriots for Europe (PfE) is calling on the Right in the EU Parliament to join forces to challenge the Green Deal. In an open letter, the national-conservative PfE urged other right-wing parties to join its initiative against the increasingly unpopular climate policy.
While the European Commission is trying to ease tensions around the flagship legislative package by offering to cut red tape but leaving all core elements in place, the conservatives believe the issues can only be solved if the entire Green Deal is suspended and re-evaluated—both in Brussels and the capitals.
In the letter, signed by PfE President Jordan Bardella on behalf of the group on Tuesday, January 28th, the Patriots argue that unless Europe stops “giving precedence to green ideology over reason and our sovereignty,” the continent will be unavoidably left behind by global competitors like the United States and China.
Therefore, the European Parliament must take “swift, massive, and concrete action” to protect companies and consumers from the negative effects of climate policies, the letter states, calling for
the temporary suspension of the Green Deal [that] would allow us to re-evaluate its objectives and applications, without destroying the prospects of prosperity for our continent.
The goal may seem overly ambitious, but it’s possible, Bardella argued. If the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) were to join the three conservative groups (PfE, ECR, ESN), with their combined 375 seats, they could build an “alternative majority” in Parliament to counter the left and put the plan in motion.
Though the EPP, as leader of the ‘Ursula coalition,’ usually partners with the left, Bardella argues that many of its members, such as Poland’s ruling Civic Platform, have called for similar measures recently, so the old enmities could be put aside for the common good of Europe.
Furthermore, the letter points to recent revelations in the Dutch media about the questionable process behind the passing of the Green Deal. According to the allegations, the EU Commission paid environmental lobby groups over €700,000 from taxpayer funds to influence both EU and national lawmakers to ensure the Green Deal would pass.
The surfacing of this likely unlawful (and clearly undemocratic) cash-for-lobby operation makes the Patriots’ proposal all the more justified, Bardella wrote. “These unacceptable methods not only disrupt democratic debate, but also call into question the legitimacy of all the political choices made in implementing the Green Deal,” he added.
The Patriot leader then appealed to the common sense of the EPP by expressing his confidence in values they all share—such as the protection of farmers, industries, economic freedom, and innovation—and urged the center-right party to join the conservatives in the historic initiative to challenge the Green Deal.
“In this way, we can send a clear and unequivocal message within our Parliament, in favor of pragmatic and realistic environmental ambition in the face of the challenges we face,” Bardella concluded.
