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Climate and energy shake-up at the EP: The logos view on likely newcomers, veterans and old-timers
The EU elections of 6-9 June could lead us to one of the most right-leaning and fragmented Parliaments the EU has ever seen.
We have already seen more centrist groups like the European People’s Party (EPP) and Renew Europe (RE) begin to shift their stance on the Green Deal, claiming the EU is piling up too many regulations that will hamper businesses and stifle competitiveness. These factors could potentially lead to lower ambition and more pro-business legislation in the field.
Nonetheless, majorities and alliances can of course shift in the Parliament, depending on the particular topic and the MEPs leading the work on each file.
So, which MEPs might be leading climate and environmental legislation in the coming term? Here’s the logos take on new faces, repeat MEPs and returning politicians to look out for.
the newcomers
We expect to see many newcomers after the elections. A lot of these MEP hopefuls already seem to be positioning themselves for a seat in the Industry, Energy and Research Committee or Environmental Protection Committee. Many have experience from local and national politics, whilst others have worked in these fields through academia or activism.
For RE, Cristina Mădălina Prună is no stranger to Brussels, having done a Blue Book traineeship and worked in several jobs in Brussels in EU project management. Standing for the Save Romania Union (USR), she has good chances to make it into the new Parliament, in 4th position on a joint list with EPP parties. She’s been an MP in Romania since 2016, sitting in Industry and European Affairs Committees and working mostly on energy and ease of doing business policies.
For S&D, Thomas Pellerin-Carlin is also bubble-aware: he studied and later worked as a researcher on EU energy and climate policies at the College of Europe – as well as working at the Jacques Delors Institute. The Frenchman also has quite solid chances to make it into Parliament, at number 9 in the joint Place Publique-Socialist Party list. He was most recently EU Programme Director at the Institute For Climate Economics. This keen expertise makes him a clear candidate to fill a seat in the ENVI or ITRE committees where he could surely play a prominent role.
S&D can also have another climate and energy savvy MEP with Bruno Tobback, who will lead the Belgian Flemish Socialists list in the elections. Currently an MP in the Flemish regional Parliament, he’s worked mostly on environment-related portfolios throughout his long career in Belgian politics, being Flemish Environment Minister and sitting in his chamber’s committee on energy and environment.
Lastly, in the Greens, we will also be seeing some interesting (and controversial) new figures, such as Lena Schilling. Only 23 years old, she’s heading the Greens list for Austria and rose to fame as the leader of the Fridays for Future climate protests in Vienna. She’s also recently been at the centre of a scandal in which she’s been accused of planning to switch over to The Left group once she is elected. For now this has not damaged the Greens polls much. If Schilling manages to get a seat, a spot in the ITRE or ENVI would make sense, although given the expected bad results for her group and the fact that these committees are highly coveted she could take up a position elsewhere also.
the old-timers
As is often the case, we expect to see quite some MEPs from past terms who will make a comeback.
For the EPP, former MEP and Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš is likely to return, in second place for his party after Commissioner hopeful Valdis Dombrovskis. Mr Kariņš served as an MEP for two terms between 2009 and 2019 and sat in the ITRE Committee, representing his group in a number of key energy files, such as the reform of the electricity market design.
For S&D, Martina Werner, an MEP for Germany from 2014 to 2019 could also be reelected, in case of a strong SPD result. Among others, Ms Werner was also active on files related to the internal market for electricity, and is supportive of interconnected grids.
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy will likely make a return for RE, leading Dutch centrists D66 list for the elections. Gerbrandy was also an MEP from 2009 to 2019 and a member of the ENVI Committee. He was notably a Rapporteur on the Parliament’s inquiry into the DieselGate scandal, among many others.
the veterans
Lastly, we will also see several familiar faces returning to the Parliament, including many MEPs who have led on some of the most important Green Deal files passed in the current term.
For the EPP, still projected to be the largest political group in the Parliament, veteran German MEP and ENVI Coordinator Peter Liese will likely be reelected and probably keep his current position, making it his seventh term in the European Parliament. Greek MEP Maria Spyraki, who is especially active on topics related to energy-intensive industries (chemicals, emissions) also stands good chances to secure another term for New Democracy. A third term should also be guaranteed for the Italian MEP, Massimiliano Salini who was been active on several files, including the hotly-debated packaging and packaging waste regulation.
For S&D, the dutchman Mohammed Chahim, Rapporteur on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Shadow on a number of other important files, is on the joint list with Greens and has very good chances to be re-elected. German MEP Jens Geier, who played an important role in the Parliament’s Hydogen Strategy Resolution and in the Decarbonized Gas Directive will also probably get reelected for the highly industrialised North Rhine-Westphalia region. Re-election is almost certain also for MEP Alessandra Moretti, who inherited the role of rapporteur on the ecodesign regulation.
Although the group is set to lose a large number of seats, RE will likely see two of their most influential MEPs in the field return. ENVI Chairman Pascal Canfin will most likely renew his seat. Although it is unlikely he will repeat as ENVI Chairman, he will remain an influential figure within the committee. Fellow Frenchman Christophe Grudler, known among others for shadowing key files like the Renewable Energy Directive and the Net-Zero Industry Act and for his work on nuclear and hydrogen, is also likely to get reelected.
The Greens, also despite heavy losses expected, will retain many of their most influential MEPs in this field, obviously a key topic for them. ENVI Vicechair Bas Eickhout, known for working mostly on automotive-related files, is the Greens co-spitzenkandidat along with Terry Reintke. Finally Michael Bloss of Germany, the Greens’ Shadow on the European Climate Law (expect him to take up that role again if an amendment is proposed) also has a safe position on his party’s list to renew his position.
Lastly, ECR could see Czech MEP and ENVI coordinator Alexandr Vondra making a return. The MEP, as Rapporteur on the Euro 7 Regulation, played a crucial role in orchestrating a majority in Parliament to water down the ambition of this law, which was seen as a huge victory for the conservative side of the EP. Pietro Fiocchi of Fratelli d’Italia who also played a prominent role in several automotive files is also expected to renew his seat.
