Spurred on by climate activist Greta Thunberg, a few hundred demonstrators demanded that the EU pushes through a bill to beef up the restoration of nature in the 27-nation bloc that was damaged during decades of industrial expansion. A counterdemonstration of farmers demanded a slower approach that would lessen the impact on their income.
“This is really a crunch moment, not only for Green Deal, but also whether Europe stands by its word,” said Greens leader Terry Reintke. “Are we the ones that are talking and telling us what to do but not doing it ourselves?” But von der Leyen’s own political group, the Christian Democrat European People’s Party, turned sour on it and now vehemently opposes it, claiming it will affect food security and undermine the income of farmers and disgruntle a European population focused more on jobs and their wallets. Like some nations and leaders, they want to hit pause such far-reaching climate legislation.
The member states have already agreed by a large majority to back a slightly more flexible version of the bill. If parliament backs the plan on Wednesday both institutions would sit down to broker a final layout in the second half of the year. If parliament rejects the plan Wednesday, it would be sent back to the drawing board and it’s unlikely anything would emerge ahead of the June EU parliament elections next year. And that would undermine the EU’s credibility abroad since it has put so much into its vaunted Green Deal.