ECR Free Vote On VdL For 2nd Commission Term; No Decision From Meloni's FdI

The conservative European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group is set to offer its constituent parties a free vote on the candidacy of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she seeks a second term in office in the 18 July European Parliament vote.

• Brussels journo Dave Keating posts on X: "The big question hovering over President Von Der Leyen is whether she will get votes from Meloni's ECR Group on Thursday. She promised center-left & liberals she would not ask for far-right endorsement. But she hopes some ECR parties vote for her anyway. President met with ECR group. She called it an "intense hour". Meloni said she'll decide after meeting whether her Brothers of Italy [FdI] party will support her. ECR free vote. Belgian NVA & Czech ODS will support VDL. Polish PiS will vote no. ECR asked VDL for a "serious change of course"."
• Meloni's FdI is the largest party in the ECR (24 MEPs) and the third-largest in the entire EP behind France's National Rally (30) and Germany's CDU-CSU (29). Given the potential for slim margins in securing the requisite 361 votes in the secret ballot (seen as raising the prospect of MEPs voting against VdL), gaining the support, or even abstention, of FdI could prove critical for VdL to cross the threshold.