No, she does not make it smaller. The European Green Deal, Ursula von der Leyen says, will not be less than Europe's moon landing. The new head of commission is standing in the press corner of the Berlaymont building, the mighty headquarters of the European Commission, and speaks a few words into the television cameras. Her commissioners have just passed the comprehensive project paper on climate protection, and the President will soon rush to the European Parliament to promote her ideas there. In between: five minutes as from the commercial.
Europe's moon landing so, in the European Parliament speaks of the Leyen of an "environmental pact". The head of the Commission is speaking out in front of her seat in the first row of the Chamber, next to her is Frans Timmermans, her vice-president responsible for climate change. "We listened to European citizens, and now we give them an answer," von der Leyen says in French.
The deputies know the contents of their deal at this moment already from pre-sent papers:
- The ultimate goal is a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 . At the latest then no new greenhouse gases should be blown into the atmosphere.
- In order for this to work, an interim target should be tightened: By 2030, EU greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be 50 to 55 percent below 1990 levels. So far, the target value is 40 percent.
- In addition, the new commission wants to start immediately with the work on a CO2 border tax . The levy should apply to imports that were not produced in accordance with EU climate standards. This is to ensure that climate change laws for EU companies do not become detrimental to global competition.
Von der Leyen addresses most of these projects in detail in their almost half-hour speech in detail. It seems to her in Parliament, apparently less about concrete numbers than to explain, to courts with the deputies. One can also say it like the Green parliamentarian Reinhard Bütikofer via Twitter: From the Leyens appearance offers a lot of packaging, but not too much content.
The Leyens green revolution does not stop at ambitious CO2 targets, which at least becomes clear. "This 'Green Deal' is our new economic growth strategy, a strategy that returns more than it takes away," says the CDU politician. Hardly any industry is left out in its green revolution, on paper anyway. Emissions trading should be extended to shipping and construction, with at least a quarter of the future EU budget earmarked for green operations.
Francisco Seco / AP / DPA
In order for all to join in - especially countries like Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, which produce their electricity to a large extent from coal - there should be a "just transitional mechanism", says von der Leyen, a kind of financial aid amounting to more than one hundred billion euros Shift from favored industries and regions. The money is to be conjured up with the help of the European Investment Bank and all kinds of leverage. "Some say that the costs will be too high," says von der Leyen, but one should not forget: "What would it cost if we did not act?"
This sentence brings applause for the first time. But despite cautious support, the risks to the new Commission President remain high and the hurdles to success enormous.
Issue number one: from the Leyens party friends of the European People's Party. They are worried about industry and jobs if Europe is the only continent to show ambition for climate protection. In public statements, the Christian Democrats in Brussels welcome the climate plan - only hurt he should not, so to go without new taxes or even prohibitions, such as internal combustion engines. They want to "make things possible in Europe and not ban them," says Daniel Caspary, head of the Union's parliamentarians. The CDU man does not even want to talk about a green deal, but about a "sustainable deal".
Problem number two: the European Parliament. There they are threatened with grief from the plans of Leyen, because not only from their own party are they skeptical. Parliament has been even more fragmented since the European elections in May than before. For example, right-wing nationals are finding new ammunition in the fight against ambitious climate change laws, while on the other hand, for example, the Greens are not green enough about Leyen's Green Deal. For example, they want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent by 2030 and also gear climate protection to the currently planned reform of EU agricultural policy.
Issue number three: the heads of state and government of Eastern European countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. So far, they do not even want to sign the goal at the EU summit on Thursday that Europe should become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Instead, they push for billions of dollars of support for the transformation of their economy. How big it will be, however, will be determined only after the end of the current negotiations on the next multi-annual EU budget.
Francois Lenoir / REUTERS
Ursula von der Leyen and Frans Timmermans
If the summit on Thursday actually fails to support the 2050 goal, that would be the first major blow to Leyen's soaring climate plans. But she could help that Charles Michel, the new President-in-Office of the Council, like the Commission President, wants to show that he understands his business. Michel is pushing for a solution.
Problem number four: power struggles within the EU Commission. The fight against climate change was one of the priorities of the European election campaign not only of the Greens, but also of the Social Democrats. And of the Leyens vice - the Dutchman Frans Timmermans, who would like to become president of the Commission himself - everything will try to profile themselves with the climate issue.
This is also evident from who may present the "European Green Deal" on Wednesday: Von der Leyen begins in Parliament with her speech, Timmermans concludes the day with a press conference on the same topic. This is how it goes on: On Thursday the ideas will be presented by the Leyen to the heads of state and government at the EU summit. Timmermans presents the "European Green Deal" at the UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid.
A typical Brussels compromise.
