A tense standoff within the European Parliament is threatening to undermine efforts to strengthen EU supply chain due diligence regulations, exposing a deepening rift between the Social Democrats (S&D) and the centre-right European People’s Party (EVP). Negotiations aimed at streamlining the legislation have stalled, prompting the EVP to threaten a procedural maneuver that could see their own proposal, likely backed by the far-right, put to a vote.
The proposed shift has drawn sharp criticism, particularly from the Green Party, who accuse the EVP of prioritizing political expediency over substantive progress. Green MEP Terry Reintke has publicly urged Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany, to uphold pledges of a “firewall” against the far-right, ensuring that the EU Parliament’s German CDU colleagues refrain from supporting the EVP’s plan. She warned that the proposed alliance would effectively dismantle protections against global child labor and environmental degradation, aligning the EVP with factions led by figures like Viktor Orbán and Marine Le Pen.
According to sources within the Parliament, intense behind-the-scenes negotiations between the S&D and EVP have failed to yield a compromise. S&D MEP René Repasi reportedly presented several proposals, garnering support from the Greens and Liberals, which were consistently rejected by the EVP. The centre-right faction has repeatedly signaled its willingness to secure a majority in parliament, even if it means relying on the votes of the far-right.
This procedural threat raises serious questions about the integrity of the legislative process and highlights the increasing vulnerability of social and environmental protections to political maneuvering. Critics contend that the EVP’s willingness to align with extremist factions signals a concerning shift in European politics, potentially jeopardizing critical regulations intended to address systemic abuses within global supply chains. Reintke concluded by demanding that the CDU take responsibility and compel the EVP to abandon its “extortion attempt” and return to meaningful negotiations.