BRUSSELS — Marriage is all about compromise, right?
The Greens say they’re willing to seal the deal with Ursula von der Leyen if it lures her away from the far right’s embrace. And they’re quick to add that the EU’s top executive may have no choice — if she’s serious about forming a sturdy, pro-European coalition to back her for a second term, that is.
That was the consistent message from the Greens on Wednesday as they gathered for their first group meeting after an EU election in which they shed European Parliament seats but retained enough leverage to influence coalition talks. As the numbers stand, if von der Leyen wants to craft a durable Parliament majority to back her as European Commission president, she has to look either left to the Greens or right to some Euroskeptic forces.
And the Greens have been at pains to tell the EU chief: We’re the safe partner you need.
