The get-together of politicians and party leaders in Valencia was described as a “reunion of friends” by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
The German was speaking at the congress of the European People’s Party, the grouping of centre-right parties that dominates EU politics. It hasn’t been the friendliest place lately for its Irish member, Fine Gael.
The EPP has the most seats in the European Parliament and the most national leaders sitting around the table at regular EU summits. It counts the parties of Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz among its number.
The EPP leadership had decided that landmark European Union reforms to tackle climate change had gone too far
Behind the scenes, it wields significant influence over the political agenda of the European Union, driving a recent rightward shift on migration and climate policy.
In the European Parliament this has left Fine Gael’s four MEPs looking isolated, on the more centrist, liberal wing of the group.
This drift came to a head last year. The EPP leadership had decided that landmark EU reforms to tackle climate change had gone too far. Farmers were taking to the streets to protest and the 2024 European elections were fast approaching. The pushback was led by the EPP’s leader in the parliament, Manfred Weber, a conservative German MEP.
The group opposed legislation that would require EU states to reverse biodiversity and nature loss. However, Fine Gael broke ranks in a crunch European Parliament vote, defying their EPP colleagues to help pass the Nature Restoration Law. “That’s remembered in the EPP,” said one source in the grouping this week. Weber is certainly unlikely to forget it.
Simon Harris taking over as Fine Gael leader also offered a chance for a reboot
Efforts have been made to repair relations and improve Fine Gael’s standing in the group over the past year. The greater focus now put on Europe’s economic competitiveness has helped, as that’s a topic where Fine Gael comfortably aligns with the rest of the group. “On the economy, we’re 100 per cent in line with the EPP,” said Sean Kelly MEP.
Simon Harris taking over as Fine Gael leader also offered a chance for a reboot. He was an unknown entity on the European stage when he became taoiseach. His predecessor, Leo Varadkar, had a network built up within the EPP over many years, something Harris has had to work to cultivate over the last 12 months.
A lot of the horse trading that goes on in Brussels takes political affiliation into account. So having a good relationship with other leaders and players in the EPP camp can help influence decisions.
Working this informal EPP circle will be important for Harris as Minister for Foreign Affairs, to win others around to the Republic’s thinking on how the EU should respond to US president Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.
The Fine Gael contingent in the European Parliament has picked up an eagerness from Harris to improve relations inside the EPP and with the party’s MEPs. “There has been a difference, Harris does want to engage more”, said one source.
At the congress in Valencia this week, former EU commissioner and Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness was elected to be one of the EPP’s 10 vice-presidents
A mark against him was his absence at a meeting bringing together party leaders in Berlin earlier this year, organised by Weber and Merz. The EPP’s “leaders’ retreat” took place in mid-January, when Harris was tied up selling the Coalition deal underpinning the current Government to his party members.
At the congress in Valencia this week, former EU commissioner and Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness was elected to be one of the EPP’s 10 vice-presidents.
Fine Gael has traditionally always held one of the vice-president positions. Helen McEntee was the last Irish politician in the role, elected for a three-year stint in 2019 when she was minister of State for European affairs.
Eyebrows were raised in the EPP when Fine Gael failed to nominate anyone to run to take over from her. The party wanted to win the position back this time. Out of 12 candidates, McGuinness finished ninth in the internal election, taking the second-last vice-president spot.
The conference also gave Fine Gael some insight into what to expect from Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, who will take over as German chancellor next week.
Speaking to delegates in Valencia, Merz said Germany would drive European politics again. “I know that many of you expect more German leadership than we have seen in the last years, both in the EU and on the international level ... We will and we have to invest a lot more energy into moving Europe forward,” he said.
The conservative politician is on the right flank of the EPP and made it clear that this is the direction he hopes to steer things. In his conference speech, Merz said the EU should take a much tougher approach to asylum seekers, expand as a defence and military power, and roll back “nonsense” regulations.
When Harris got up to speak on Wednesday, he talked about the EPP fighting the rise of populism from a “progressive and compassionate” centre ground.
The majority of the EPP favours Merz’s vision. Fine Gael will either have to follow him to the right or get comfortable remaining out of step with their European colleagues.
