Never in the history of the European Union has the environment been so decisive in revealing political strategies and new alliances. A litmus test in view of the 2024 vote. Today, in fact, the Strasbourg Parliament gave its first go-ahead to the Nature restoration law proposed by the European Commission: 336 votes in favour, 300 against, 13 abstentions. The forecasts up until yesterday were the opposite and many expected the failure of a proposal born very well but which has arrived to date amid controversy and criticism. Instead, the forecast was overturned thanks to defections within the European People’s Party: 21 MEPs voted in favor of the law and in open contrast with the indications of their secretary, Manfred Weber, the big loser of the day.
Beyond the short-term political dynamics, the vote is interesting for two reasons. First, because it puts back on the table a fundamental law for the protection of our territories, which today are in a very bad state of health due to the impact of man. Despite the criticisms from farmers and fishermen, the scientific community has loudly explained the need to make the nature of our continent more resilient in order to respond to the challenges of pollution and climate change.
Secondly, because it shows in a plastic way the attempt of the European People’s Party to realign its alliances towards the right, looking ever more closely at the conservative group led by Giorgia Meloni. A slow slip in view of the 2024 Europeans, which will probably see a reversal of forces within Parliament. The design of the new alliances is still only partially declared, given that the Popolari still make up the “Ursula” majority together with the forces of the Left.
The Green Deal and initiatives in favor of the environment are one of the main legacies of this Commission and of this European legislature in general. But just in this last year the bank could break the bank: the conservatives could unload the same initiatives they had worked on to prevent the excellent results from favoring the progressive and social democratic forces in the next elections, which during the electoral campaign will try to forcefully claim the progress obtained.
The thrust attempted today failed, but there will be other decisive moments, starting right from the next discussions on the Restoration Law. The fate of the planet, in Strasbourg, could be overshadowed to favor the short-term interests of political agendas. But Nature is not to be used as a battlefield, nor as a rope to be contested. Even today, in 2023, the European Parliaments seem to forget about the ecological crisis that characterizes our times.