Luxembourg (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Luxembourg MEPs voiced dissatisfaction with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership, slamming her handling of portfolios and caution of a drift toward nationalist interests in the EU’s approaches.
In a roundtable conversation on RTL Radio on 26 Oct 2026, MEPs Tilly Metz, Charles Goerens and Marc Angel criticised EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the formation of her new commission. They voiced regret over their previous votes in favour of von der Leyen. They criticised her path to governance, defining it as an attempt to claim her authority and “pull the strings.”
How are MEPs viewing the lack of commissioner transparency?
MEP Marc Angel of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party stressed that von der Leyen disregarded the lead nominee principle and fragmented the commissioners’ portfolios, forming confusion over roles and duties. He suggested this was a deliberate approach to centralise decision-making with the Commission President.
Green Party MEP Tilly Metz expressed dissatisfaction that neither “green” nor “social” priorities were visibly represented in the labels of the commissioners, cautioning that this omission could signal a change toward national interests at a time when more powerful European unity is needed. On the subject of Ukraine, MEP Tilly Metz stressed that the EU’s continued backing for Ukraine, including military assistance, is “evident.” She admitted the importance of seeking a diplomatic solution but warned that it was not an easy course.
Both Metz and Angel criticised the designation of the far-right Raffaele Fitto, a member of Giorgia Meloni’s post-fascist “Brothers of Italy” party, as a Vice-Commissioner, explaining the action as “a complete no-go.”
What are the criticisms about the EU’s direction under von der Leyen?
Democratic Party MEP Charles Goerens defined the current period as “very difficult times” with the potential for further damage. He attributed these hardships to past failures, stating that the Israeli government under Prime Minister Netanyahu violated European Union guidance, while the United States has historically held the primary leverage in the region.
Goerens claimed that the EU missed an opportunity to maintain stability in the Middle East by not forming a partnership with the US and select Arab League nations he defined as “sensible,” which, he believes, could have supported responsible leadership on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides. However, he also indicated that, due to the EU Parliament’s requirement for peace, passing a resolution remains impossible.
