What the Greens want in exchange for backing von der Leyen

Good morning. As we explained yesterday, Italian premier Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right parliamentary faction is making moves to throw her weight around the EU top jobs debate. But for European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, there’s another option: the Greens.

Today, the Greens’ leader tells our parliament correspondent her price for support, while Laura examines the dark past some of Meloni’s allies are associated with.

Have a great weekend.

Green is the warmest colour

The Greens have offered to abandon being in the opposition for the first time to ensure the EU does not hand power to far-right parties, write Andy Bounds and Alice Hancock.

Context: Ursula von der Leyen is seeking a second term as president of the European Commission but needs approval from the European parliament. The three centrist parties supporting her only just have enough votes.

Terry Reintke, co-leader of the Greens, says she is ready to back the centre-right von der Leyen in return for a commitment to continue climate change policies.

“We want to be part of the pro-European governing majority,��� she told the FT in an interview a day after being re-elected, along with new co-leader Bas Eickhout.

But the German Green said her compatriot must rule out giving a say to the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists, a big winner from last month’s elections. “We are ready to negotiate. We need clarity from Ursula von der Leyen, if she is nominated, that there will be no deal with the ECR,” Reintke said.

Manfred Weber, the leader of von der Leyen’s centre-right EPP, is leading talks with the Socialists and Democrats, and liberal Renew. He has questioned the Greens’ ability to remain a cohesive block and back tougher policies on migration and defence.

“The Green leadership has the backing of the members,” said Reintke. “You have national delegations in the EPP and Socialists and Renew that did not vote for legislation [their] leadership backed.”

The Greens, with their 51 members, could support increased defence spending, she said, but opposed the “militarisation of borders”, preferring to create more legal pathways to enter the EU.

The group would also fight for European money to help people pay for going green, such as new electric heating systems and cars. “I think we have made mistakes” in implementing the Green Deal climate package, she admitted.

But a promise to stick to the EU goal of climate neutrality and follow through on its implementation was non-negotiable, Reintke said. “We want a written commitment.”

Chart du jour: Having it all

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Birth rates in the world’s richest countries have halved since 1960, the OECD has found. It also found that this is not necessarily because more women are working.

Nothing to see here

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seems to have inoculated herself against criticism of fascist nostalgia in her party’s ranks, write Laura Dubois and Andy Bounds.

Context: Italian media outlet Fanpage infiltrated Gioventú Nazionale (National youth), the youth movement of Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy, filming her supporters making fascist salutes and planning pro-fascist actions across Rome.

The video should have been a major headache for the premier, who is trying to present a moderate image in Brussels. But the initial small waves it made seem to have died down, and Meloni was never forced to publicly react.

Yet, the footage shows her close associate in Brussels, MEP Nicola Procaccini, greeting a supporter the neo-fascist way — with the so-called gladiator’s salute, when two people grab each other’s lower arm.

Procaccini has denied greeting anyone in a suggestive way, and threatened to sue Iratxe García, leader of the European parliament’s Socialists and Democrats, for defamation over suggesting otherwise.

“The reportage shows something that I condemn absolutely,” Procaccini said yesterday in Brussels, adding that it was a “brutal lie” that he made a fascist salute. “I don’t know if the gladiator [salute] is something fascist, but I don’t think so,” he added.

The images show Meloni’s supporters raising their hand in the fascist salute, chanting “Sieg Heil” and Benito Mussolini’s title “Duce” over and over again. “We are really fascists,” one person says.

Luca Ciriani, minister for relations with parliament, told deputies on Wednesday that the investigation was “constructed on the basis of fragmented, decontextualised images”.

It’s not the first time Meloni’s base has displayed fascist symbols, and the premier has downplayed those incidents. At the far-right Atreju festival earlier this year, Meloni called her younger supporters “splendid”. “There are still young people who believe in politics, in militancy,” she said.

Meanwhile, public broadcaster Rai last month went on strike to protest against editorial interference, and an anti-fascist author has accused Meloni of censorship.

What to watch today

1. EU finance ministers meet in Luxembourg.

2. EU health ministers meet.

Now read these

• Allez les Bleus: France’s national football team represents the country’s diversity. Now, it’s mobilising people against the far right, writes Simon Kuper.

• Not so gassed: The EU has adopted its first sanctions on Russian gas, targeting LNG shipments to non-EU countries — while continuing to buy LNG directly.

• Untapped potential: Italy does not have the necessary resources or protocols to help immigrant children in schools — or their teachers, writes Amy Kazmin.