Manfred Weber remains EPP boss: Fight against authoritarian currents!

Manfred Weber remains EPP boss: Fight against authoritarian currents!

At the EPP Congress in Valencia, Manfred Weber was confirmed with 89% of the votes for a third term as chairman of the European People's Party (EVP). Of 570 delegates, 502 voted for him, 61 against it and seven votes were invalid. In his speech, Weber, who is also known as the top candidate of the CSU in the European Parliament, emphasized the major challenges that Europe faces, in particular the growing extreme political currents. He described this as the main opponent of the EVP and warned of an authoritarian wave that threatens Europe.

In terms of the political landscape in Austria, Weber commented on the failed coalition negotiations between the ÖVP and the FPÖ and described the case as a "case study" for the political climate in the country. He thanked the Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker for his pro-European attitude, while Stocker said that the FPÖ could not fulfill the necessary conditions for cooperation.

migration as a central topic

Another central topic that Weber spoke on the sidelines of his re -election is the irregular migration. He criticized the current migration situation and called for control to reduce the number of migrants. He cited Italy as a positive example, where it was possible to reduce the number of migrants by 64% by the central Mediterranean route in the first half of 2024. Weber also supported the idea of "return hubs" for rejected asylum seekers to attribute them outside the EU.

Weber again found the need to have asylum seekers or refugees who were on danger lists or were convicted of being removed from Europe. This is only possible with an EU-wide regulation and a coherent approach to return agreements that should also take into account economic aspects. The EU must use economic negotiations to persuade countries for cooperation and to counter the challenges of migration.

competitiveness and migration policy

In addition, Weber highlighted the competitiveness of Europe as one of the greatest challenges. The EPP boss expressed confidence in a future strong German leadership under the CDU boss Friedrich Merz in order to maintain the economic strength of the continent. The importance of close cooperation in migration policy was also announced at the upcoming summit of heads of state and government in Brussels, where migration is an urgent topic on the agenda.

European migration policy has a long history that ranges from emigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries to the migration policy measures since the 1960s. The basics of the common market, including the free movement of workers, have already been anchored in the 1957 Roman contracts. The challenges of today's migration policy are closely interlinked with the political, economic and social dynamics within the EU, which aim to promote the free movement of workers and at the same time to maintain national interests.

Weber, who has always put on a common European migration strategy in his political career, sees the need for the EU to face this challenge in order not only to ensure security, but also the stability and social peace in Europe.

For further information on the background of European migration policy and the challenges that arise from it, we recommend reading the article from the Federal Center for Political Education, which examines the development of migration policy in detail.

For more details on the re-election of Manfred Weber and his political goals, please visit the Article on Vienna.at, and for information on the current topics in migration policy Read the report from evening newspaper Munich, as well as the comprehensive overview of the page of bpb.