The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen.
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Johanna Geron / AP / SIPA
At the head of the European Commission since December 2019, Ursula Von der Leyen is criticized for her lack of action against laboratories, which are slow to deliver doses.
On Wednesday, she admitted to MEPs some errors in her management.
The former minister of Angela Merkel nevertheless remains under the strong influence of states, in particular France and Germany.
If it's not a
mea culpa,
it looks a lot like it.
Invited to speak in public in front of the European Parliament on Wednesday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, responded to criticism of the European management of the Covid-19 crisis: "We have been late on the vaccine approval.
We have been too optimistic about mass production, and perhaps too confident about the timely delivery of the doses ordered ”.
A week ago, she had already defended in front of MEPs, this time behind closed doors.
Ursula Von der Leyen then assumed "responsibility for what happens and is decided" at the Commission, according to parliamentary sources who attended these hearings.
She was referring to negotiations with vaccine manufacturers for 2.2 billion doses for the EU.
However, in recent weeks, these negotiations have been severely criticized, in particular because of the delay taken by AstraZeneca and Pfizer, which will not be financially sanctioned.
Proof that the health crisis has shone the spotlight on the German sexagenarian, who had until then more or less passed between the drops.
"The balance of power was in favor of laboratories"
“Ursula Von der Leyen has abdicated in the face of pharmaceutical companies, denounces Manon Aubry, MEP of the radical left (GUE / NGL), elected under the label of France Insoumise.
She let them dictate their rules on contracts, which cannot be fully made public.
But also on deliveries, since there are no real penalties provided for in the event of delay ”.
A lack of political weight that despairs her: "it is a terrible admission of helplessness".
“The European Commission is the perfect scapegoat!
»Replies Pascal Canfin, President of the Environment Committee in the European Parliament.
For LREM MEP, “you negotiate with a laboratory, the laboratory does not deliver to you and the Commission is accused.
The reality is that at the time of the negotiations, the balance of power was in favor of the laboratories and not of the political authorities.
This is why on this subject of possible penalties, nothing is planned either in the United States, in Canada ... No country has negotiated that.
On the other hand, we paid less, and we shared the legal liability regime for vaccines with the laboratories.
"Conclusion:" The criticisms come only from national oppositions.
The Member States are all in solidarity with the Commission ”.
The weight of states
It is not really a coincidence.
Because it is indeed the 27 EU countries that have granted the European Commission the right to negotiate with laboratories.
And on this subject as on others, the States retain a very strong influence on the Commission.
"We must never forget that the substantive decisions continue to be taken by the European Council, which brings together the heads of state and government," recalls Christian Lequesne, professor at Sciences Po.
"When it is necessary to implement Community policies such as vaccines, the Commission does not have the means to do so without relying on national administrations," continues this EU specialist.
It is a great classic: given that the Commission has a form of permanence in Brussels, it embodies Europe, for good or for bad.
For the Member States, this can be very practical to avoid their own responsibilities ”.
Like Pascal Canfin, Eric Maurice, of the Robert Schuman Foundation, believes that Ursula Von der Leyen is "an easy scapegoat for States".
Because if the Commission had not been responsible for negotiating for the Twenty-Seven, there would have been a competition between the Member States to obtain vaccines "very destabilizing for the EU", indicates this specialist in Europe, quoted by AFP.
The real mistake of the European executive would rather lie in the communication that was made around the delivery of the doses.
The President of the Commission would have "created too great an expectation", "when we knew that all the vaccines would not arrive in January".
"Lack of democratic legitimacy"
Ursula Von der Leyen must also deal with an "original sin", namely the conditions of her election in July 2019. "It was not the first choice, she arrived as the candidate for a Franco-German compromise", recalls Christian Lequesne.
At the time, under the “Spitzenkandidat” (head of the line) system, it was Manfred Weber, head of the EPP MEPs (the main group in Parliament after the European elections), who was approached for the post.
Except that Emmanuel Macron did not want it.
Not experienced enough for his taste.
However, without the approval of France, it is impossible to validate a candidate for the presidency of the Commission.
For its part, Germany was absolutely keen to have one of its representatives at the head of the European executive.
Ultimately, it is therefore Ursula Von der Leyen, Minister of Angela Merkel, who is chosen and confirmed by a very narrow majority (383 votes, only 9 more than the absolute majority) by the European Parliament.
Once again, it was the heads of state - especially France and Germany - who dictated their rules.
“Ursula Von der Leyen still has a real lack of democratic legitimacy today.
It is not the choice of European citizens ”, judges Manon Aubry.
Moreover, according to Christian Lequesne, "a certain number of EPP deputies have not forgiven him for having taken the place of Manfred Weber", and therefore do not fail to soap the board at the slightest opportunity.
An example ?
The rejection by MEPs of Sylvie Goulard, Macronist minister expected to occupy a post at the Commission.
"Ursula Von der Leyen did not weigh in this choice, simply because she could not" concludes Christian Lequesne.
Between the demands of states and those of MEPs, Ursula Von der Leyen's path is narrow.
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