European Parliament backs von der Leyen’s ReArm plan
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The European Parliament had the chance on Wednesday to express its view on the plan, but only through a non-legislative resolution, approved by 419 votes in favour, 204 against and 46 abstentions.
MEPs from across the political spectrum called for a stronger “Parliament oversight and scrutiny role, in line with the expansion of the EU’s role in defence”.
The Strasbourg Chamber approved a resolution calling on the EU to act urgently to ensure its security and urging “truly innovative efforts.”
The European People’s Party, the Renew Liberals, and almost all the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) voted in alignment with Ursula von der Leyen. Notably, within the socialist ranks, the Democratic Party delegation split in two. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group also showed divisions: the Melonians of Fratelli d’Italia supported the resolution, while Poland’s PiS opposed it.
The Greens largely backed European rearmament, except for a few dissenters, including four members of the Green and Left Alliance (AVS). Meanwhile, the chamber’s extremes converged in opposition: the Patriots and Sovereignists on one side and the European Left group on the other. Italian MEPs from the Lega and the 5-Star Movement also voted against the resolution.
In Wednesday’s resolution, MEPs urged member states to increase their defence spending to at least 3% of GDP, to support the creation of a bank for defence, security and resilience, and to explore a system of European defence bonds to pre-finance major military investments, among other measures.
However, the resolution agreed by the Parliament didn’t include any specific censure of the use of article 122, despite some MEPs having attempted to table such an amendment.
Some lawmakers from the groups of The Left and The Greens/EFA proposed to include the following recital: “The Parliament deplores the choice to use Art.122 […] for the new EU instrument meant to support members states defence capabilities; expresses deep concern for being excluded from decisional process”.
But the amendment was rejected with 444 votes against: among them, almost all the members from the groups of the EPP, the Socialist and Democrats (S&D), Renew Europe and European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).
“We would prefer to be more involved in the shaping of this plan, but this is not a major battle for us,” ECR co-president Nicola Procaccini told Euronews, explaining his group’s decision.
Estonian MEP Riho Terras, who sits as EPP vice-chair of the Security and Defence Committee (SEDE), believes it’s a time-critical issue and that the EU should focus on delivering results rather than the process itself.
“We (the SEDE committee) do not feel sidelined as long as we have oversight and transparency of the use of the funds that the Commission lends to the member states,” Terras told Euronews.
