Terry Reintke told the German news agency in view of the elections in Sweden and Italy. The 35-year-old said this will also affect EU countries’ joint decisions.
“It will be very important for us as the European Parliament to take a very clear stand against this and defend the fundamental values of the European Union – things like democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights.” She wants to contribute to that as chairman.
Italy’s far-right Fratelli d’Italia clearly emerged as the strongest party in the elections at the end of September. Party leader Giorgia Meloni is currently negotiating with the right-wing populist Lega and the conservative Forza Italia about filling the ministries.
In Sweden, the four-party bloc of conservative Ulf Kristersson, including the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats, won a narrow majority with 176 seats in the September 11 elections.
Reinkte is slightly more optimistic about Great Britain. She had campaigned to keep the British in the EU and, given the crises there, hopes in some places the British government will be more pragmatic.
But Reintke also stressed: “A lot of trust has been breached by the behavior of the British government under Boris Johnson.” The new government under Liz Truss is currently sliding from one domestic political crisis to another. She only fired her finance minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, on Friday after criticizing recently announced tax plans.
(SDA)