With the European People’s Party (EPP) Congress under way in Valencia, where state and party leaders are set to gather, the party’s President Manfred Weber cautioned against the authoritarian wave arriving in Europe, pledging to firmly reject any formal alliance with parties he sees as extremist.
“The main competitors for us for the coming years are the populists and extremists. We are facing an authoritarian wave all over the world, and it is also coming and arriving in Europe,” Weber told Euronews.
“I work together with serious (parties), but with those who are really taking Europe into question, like (Alice) Weidel and AfD or (Marine) Le Pen, there is no cooperation possible at all. That’s our fundamental belief and people can count on this,” he pointed out.
However, Weber remains open to working with other right-wing parties, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy or Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and his ODS, both of whom are part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group.
“We are ready to include the serious conservative parties in Europe. For example, Giorgia Meloni showed in Italy, together with Antonio Tajani, that they are credible, that they are centre-based,” he said.
“Petr Fiala in the Czech Republic is fighting against Andrej Babiš and is a conservative politician and he should be part of a team, a broader team on a European level.”
When asked whether the EPP had shifted to the right, Weber rejected the suggestion, instead emphasising the party’s commitment to democratic principles and voter engagement.
“Our message is listening to people, leading, and then also delivering,” he said, while acknowledging the growing appeal of populist movements across Europe.
Rather than seeking common ground with populists, Weber is choosing to confront them head-on, advocating instead for a strong, coherent vision for Europe’s future. He emphasised the need for a renewed narrative in a world where the US is no longer the dominant global anchor and Europe is increasingly expected to assume more responsibility.
“The biggest party of Europe must provide Europe exactly with this way of thinking,” he said.
‘In Europe, you cannot lie’
What Weber sees as erratic behaviour from the Trump administration came during JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, where the US vice president disparaged the European Union’s “commissars” of suppressing free speech.
“Under Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will defend your right to offer it in the public square – agree or disagree,” Vance said.
Weber disagreed with this approach.
“We don’t follow Vice President Vance’s consideration. That everything is allowed. No, in Europe, not everything is allowed. You cannot lie, you cannot give hate speeches there, he explained. “You cannot be antisemitic in today’s world in Europe.”
In Valencia, Weber aims to present his vision for the future of the continent – one rooted in the rule of law and European values.
“We do it this European way. We also do it based on rule of law, like the Geneva Convention, like respecting the asylum right in Europe. We are doing it not like the populist and extremist way. So that’s our middle ground, in a way – the serious centre-right party who is providing answers in today’s world.”
Following the June 2024 EU elections, the EPP secured 19.7% of the vote – a result Weber described as a mandate.
“Here in Spain, in Hungary, in Germany, in Finland, they voted, and they decided to stop the period of a left, liberal-driven agenda and (are) now coming back to a centre-right driven agenda. That’s normal in democracy.”
For Weber, the path ahead is clear.
“What is a bigger problem is that when people vote for another European Parliament, for a centre-wide European Parliament, things must change. It cannot continue as the left wishes to see, that then we continue as nothing happens.”
Still, he acknowledges that no party can go it alone.
“We have a mandate to lead, but we do this together with the others, with the liberals, with the socialists, and also with the conservative voters who are committed to be part of a European process. We have a common responsibility as Democrats on the European level,” Weber said.
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