As Members of the European Parliament gathered to reflect on the highs and lows of the past five-year mandate, Manfred Weber of the European People’s Party highlighted the success of restarting the European economic engine after the COVID-19 pandemic. He also mentioned measures taken to curb climate change, despite criticism of his party’s recent backlash against the Green Deal. Weber noted the Parliament’s failure to uphold the Spitzenkandidaten process as a major letdown.
Iratxe García Pérez of the Socialists and Democrats listed Brexit, post-pandemic recovery, and the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine as major achievements of the term. She also praised the first EU law to combat violence against women, despite its failure to include provisions on rape after pushback from member states. García Pérez criticized the bloc’s failure to conclude the embattled Nature Restoration Law, a plan to reverse biodiversity loss in the EU.
Philippe Lamberts of The Greens highlighted the parliament’s achievements in shaping the Green Deal as one of the biggest successes of the term. He expressed concerns about new fiscal rules and the asylum and migration pact, which he believes will make the Green Deal financially impossible and will not solve anything regarding migration and asylum policies.
Nicola Procaccini of the European Conservatives and Reformists commended the parliament’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a major success. He emphasized the importance of the EU’s support for Ukraine to prevent further escalation. Procaccini criticized the development of the Green Deal without proper interaction with those impacted by it as the parliament’s biggest error in the term.
Marco Zanni of Identity and Democracy, the parliament’s far-right group, highlighted bringing its priorities to the agenda despite being a minority group as their biggest win of the mandate. Zanni mentioned issues related to immigration, the protection of farmers, and a more pragmatic approach to the Green Deal. He criticized the long-standing “cordon sanitaire” in the parliament that excludes certain parties with different ideas, calling it a significant downfall.
In conclusion, the presidents of major political groups reflected on the successes and failures of the past five years of the European Parliament’s mandate. From restarting the European economy after the COVID-19 pandemic to shaping policies related to climate change and response to global crises, each group highlighted the achievements they found most significant. However, there were also criticisms of decisions related to the Spitzenkandidaten process, fiscal rules, and asylum and migration policies. Overall, the assessments of the term varied among the different political groups, showcasing the diverse perspectives within the European Parliament.
