NARRATIVE – Dirty tricks, public criticism, private arguments: for five years, the two leaders have had a terrible relationship.
Correspondent in Brussels
This is one of those moments that cannot go unnoticed. On 18 July 2024, the Strasbourg Parliament was full. The newly elected MEPs have just taken their seats. Now they have to give the green light to Ursula von der Leyenthe EPP candidate for a second five-year term at the head of the Commission. The former German Minister of Defence, who has been campaigning for months, must obtain a majority. And this is not a given, while the weight of the extreme right in the hemicycle has increased and some support is not guaranteed.
The campaign has been tough. Many would like to see it stumble, including a certain Thierry Breton. She doesn’t seem to know what to expect when she takes her place in the chamber to hear the results of the votes. When it falls – she is elected without triumph -, a long queue forms in front of the elected president. She is congratulated, kissed like good bread, flowers are offered to her…
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