The European political agenda for Monday 22 December is marked by a suspicious haste, characteristic of a European Commission keen to wrap up its most controversial dossiers before the Christmas break. At the top of this agenda is the free trade agreement with Mercosur.
This morning, the von der Leyen Commission confirmed its intention to use the “splitting” procedure to speed up ratification of the trade section of the treaty. This technical manoeuvre has a clear political objective: to bypass the mandatory vote by national parliaments and thus silence the growing opposition in France, Austria and Wallonia. For the radical left-wing press, this element of the European political agenda is a flagrant denial of democracy. By isolating trade from political cooperation, Brussels is transforming a comprehensive partnership into a simple commercial contract for the benefit of Brazilian agribusiness and the German automotive industry.
The second key item on the agenda concerns “European defence“. The preparatory meetings being held in Brussels at the beginning of this week aim to finalize the timetable for the new “Defence Pact” for January 2026. Under the guise of strategic autonomy in the face of geopolitical tensions, the agenda provides for a massive increase in national military budgets. Critical observers see this as an institutionalisation of the war economy, where every euro invested in a missile is a euro diverted from hospitals or schools.
Thirdly, the European political agenda is turning its attention to energy issues. The latest decisions on phasing out Russian gas by 2027 are currently being made. However, the official timetable reveals an increased dependence on American shale gas (LNG), an ecological aberration that the Commission is trying to pass off as a victory for sovereignty.
Finally, the agenda for 22 December is actively preparing for the upcoming rotating presidency. Behind-the-scenes discussions show a willingness to tighten the criteria for the excessive deficit procedure for so-called “rebellious” member states. This European political agenda is nothing more than a technocratic steamroller designed to lock in neoliberal policies before popular resistance becomes uncontrollable. We must remain vigilant, because it is often in the shadow of the end-of-year festivities that the most unpopular measures are decided.
Find the European Parliament’s weekly agenda.
