Between feminist victories and authoritarian excesses
The European institutions news for this week (22 December) will be remembered for a striking democratic paradox. On the one hand, a victory secured through grassroots and feminist pressure; on the other, a technocratic overreach that flouts the sovereignty of the people.
The most significant institutional development was the European Parliament’s vote on 17 December in favor of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “My Voice, My Choice.” This is a historic step forward: the Parliament officially supported the creation of a funding mechanism to guarantee free and safe access to abortion for all women in the Union, including those living in reactionary Member States like Poland and Hungary. This proves that, under pressure from the streets and feminist groups, institutions can become guardians of fundamental rights. However, the fight has only just begun, as the Commission must now translate this support into concrete legislative proposals—a move far from guaranteed in the face of conservative lobbies.
At the same time, the European institutions news is dominated by a profound crisis of legitimacy regarding the management of free trade agreements. The method used by the von der Leyen Commission to impose the deal with Mercosur—splitting the text to avoid a veto by national parliaments—is perceived as an authoritarian power play. This strategy undermines the institutional balance and reinforces the image of a Europe led by a bureaucratic elite disconnected from national realities and environmental imperatives.
Finally, the agenda is clouded by the debate on transparency. Scandals linked to vaccine contracts and conflicts of interest between certain Commissioners and industrial lobbies continue to pollute the political climate in Brussels. The radical left in the European Parliament (The Left) denounces a state of “corporate capture,” where large companies effectively write the rules that regulate them.
