Dr Claudio Lanza

Head of Advocacy at Volt
Delivered Volt Europa's 2024-29 Electoral Policy Program
Main Interests: EU Politics, International Relations, Sustainability

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

Very happy that my first article “Mimetic rivalry in practice: The case of Kosovo”, co-authored with @FarCanals, was published (on Xmas day!) in Volume 18, Issue 1 of Journal of International Political Theory and is available at https://t.co/dBtj7UsIwk

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

In 2024, exported a gas volume equivalent to more than 30% of the total gas consumption in 🇪🇺 and 🇬🇧

Nearly all oil and gas produced on the 🇳🇴 shelf is exported.

Combined, oil and gas exceeds half of the total value of 🇳🇴 exports of goods.

Source: https://t.co/Go01v9l9We

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

How does 🇳🇴 afford such a fast 🍃 transition? Fossil fuel exports.

🇳🇴 is the 4th largest exporter of natural gas in the world, behind 🇺🇸 , 🇷🇺 and 🇶🇦 .

Let this sink in.

[Alexander Kristensen @LinkN01]

So, in Norway 🇳🇴 97% of all cars sold in June were EV.

Let that sink in.

[Alberto Alemanno 🇪🇺 @alemannoEU]

The power cut in Spain and Portugal offers another COVID moment

Regardless of its causes, this turn of events highlights the fragility of our infrastructure and overall unpreparedness to these scenarios

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

@alemannoEU One rule for Italian citizens, another for non-Italians, like Elon Musk. The beginning of the erosion of universal human rights in Italy.

[European Alternatives @euroalter]

🙌 Open Call for Civil Society Members!

Join the @Dem_Odyssey a transnational people’s assembly set to shape Europe’s future. First meeting in Athens: Sept 27-29, 2024.

👉 Find out more: https://t.co/O5LGeQE1fH

[European Alternatives @euroalter]

🗣️ Make Democracy a priority!

✊ We’re calling on the European Parliament to strengthen our democracies!

🔎 Discover how a new focus on participative democracy, inclusion, and transparency can empower citizens and protect civil society.

Learn more: https://t.co/mbiaGWlPdF

[Vincent @vincentbrussel]

Assessing Ursula von der Leyen's political guidelines for the next five years: opportunities for MEPs to improve the agenda for a fast, funded, fair shift to a clean economy. @e3g
https://t.co/w3OQcQ1Ky5

[Volt Europa @VoltEuropa]

👀👀 Great news from the European Parliament! 🇪🇺 Read our press release here: https://t.co/JTkDXVpUpW

Our Volt MEP Nela Riehl was elected CHAIR of the Education and Culture Committee of the European Parliament! 🥳

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

How green are #Vonderlayen ambitions for next 5y? Read the super insightful thread below 👇🏻

1️⃣ question remains. To quote @Mabeytweet “Winning slowly on climate is losing”. Are we set for a slow progress for the next 5y?

Hopefully not if @ecrgroup commits more ‘harakiri’ moves

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

Embedding green agenda in industrial strategy was what we all expected.

But, how do you make #Vonderlayen accountable with 1️⃣ no mechanisms in place 2️⃣ @EPPGroup dominance in Committees too?

What’d @VoltEuropa do if VdL u-turned on key pledges?

Compelling 👇🏻

[Alberto Alemanno 🇪🇺 @alemannoEU]

The new von der Leyen Commission will be a center-right / right-center Commission, which will be both culturally and politically more attuned to Meloni’s ECR and Orban’s Patriots than to the @GreensEFA.

Here’s why 🧵

1. Without the votes of the Greens, @vonderleyen would have not had a majority of the Parliament:

- Approximately 50 MEPs defected from vdL majority, most likely from liberals & socialists.

- Those were replaced by the vote of the Greens (85%) who gave a ‘blank check’ to vdL, and that despite her political priorities being closer to the EPP than anybody else on the center left.

3. The Greens are NOT part of vdL majority (as vdL clearly stated) and in any event won’t have any chance to hold vdL accountable on her promises, at any time. Not how the EU system works.

Ultimately the Socialists - who content themselves with a Commissioner on Housing and few other non-committal promises - Liberals -who got some sloganeering promises to protect the rule of law - won’t have the upper hand either.

4. vdL is now free to set up a center-right, possibly right-center, Commission and pursue that political agenda without being political - nor legally accountable - to the Greens, nor the Socialists and Liberals, but an hegemonic EPP.

5. We may expect half of the new College of Commissioners to be EPP (13) , mostly in charge of key portfolios, despite their geographical provenance, plus 2 ECR, what will give vdL 2.0 a permanent (center-right) majority within the College.

Add 5-6 liberals and only 3 socialists, and no greens.

Is this what the @europeangreens meant by favouring the formation of pro-European majority at all costs?

Von der Leyen's 'big win' will go down in history as Phyrrhus victory for the EU project, which is definitely not in good hands.

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

@MarcelErnst91 @GreensEFA @vonderleyen @EU_Commission @TerryReintke @BasEickhout @DianaRibaGiner @Kira_MPH @marietouss1 @SLagodinsky @ignaziomarino @VSinkevicius @VoltEuropa As a parliamentary group, the @GreensEFA's external communication (not negotiation or voting) should reflect the now broader political platform they represent, with EU Reform being more visible.

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

And somehow the +9 is projected to be a much more successful coalition than the one delivering +41!

[DG MEME 🇪🇺 @meme_ec]

From +9 to +41

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

The beginning of the 2nd term of @VoltEuropa in the European Parliament starts today, in the majority.

#vonderLeyen promises are unambitious, and pretty conservative.

The fight for a more equal, greener, participatory Europe will be tough, but it is one we must do.

[Damian Boeselager @d_boeselager]

She made it with the votes of conservatives, social democrats, liberals, and us. We now have the power to hold her accountable. Let’s use it.

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

401 votes in favor.

First time treaty change and participatory democracy in the EU agenda. Housing and fair pay are in.

The fight for a more democratic, progressive, green, equal, and green Europe (re)starts now.

The next battle: the new Commissioners.

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

Aspirational wording on EU reform agenda is key to start the fight for an ambitious agenda within the majority.

However, @VoltEuropa should advocate for more.

The EU won't survive its own domestic breed of authoritarian movements without effective democratic renewal.

[Damian Boeselager @d_boeselager]

Why the 5 Volt MEPs took the tough decision to vote FOR von der Leyen - and double down on reforming the bad process that put her in this role 👇🏽

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

@fontyisthere @VoltEuropa @vonderleyen Yes, the aspiration is in the statement, but the focus won’t be that. Similar efforts were already disregarded in the last policy cycle, see Electoral Law Reform.

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

More an 1 milion voters supported @VoltEuropa's Moonshot Program.

We got 5 MEPs.

Is our agenda what #vonderLeyen intends to pursue in the next 5 years?

Let's see

[Alberto Alemanno 🇪🇺 @alemannoEU]

Here’s von der Leyen’s proposed Political Guidelines 2024-2029, which reflect the EU’s turn to the right while striving to secure the legacy of more progressive outgoing Commission and Parliament.

A bit for everyone and no one, to the right (deregulation & defense), the far-right (fortress Europe) and left (soft anti-poverty plan, social rights, Future generations) and greens (a bit of climate adaptation no more).

Timid attempt at revamping old promises on enlargement, democratic reform, EP right of initiative, rule of law and enforcement… little enthusiasm for a tick-box exercise

https://t.co/MXHnWy0vtz #vonderLeyen

[Dr Claudio Lanza @klaudiolanza]

@alemannoEU Agree. Like such an unambitious agenda will stop the far-right gaining more power across Europe...