EU top jobs hearings stalled by political infighting over hard right alliances

BRUSSELS (AP) — The process of vetting candidates for some of the European Union’s most important jobs bogged down in acrimony on Wednesday as the biggest political faction in the bloc’s parliament was accused of collaborating with the hard right.

Since Nov. 4, senior lawmakers have been questioning the 26 new members of the EU’s increasingly powerful executive branch, the European Commission, to see whether they’re suitable to lead the bloc for the next five years on policies like trade, agriculture or foreign policy.

The hearings wound up on Tuesday when the six most senior members of the commission -– to be led again by President Ursula von der Leyen –- were questioned for three hours. But key votes on their performance were postponed as political tensions mounted.

The leader of the pro-environment Greens, Terry Reintke, accused the big conservative group in parliament of “cheap politics and shady maneuvers.” She said that its tactics “are creating damaging instability in the EU institutions.”

Von der Leyen is a member of that pan-European political group –- the European People’s Party. The EPP remained the biggest faction in parliament following EU-wide elections in June, but other centrist formations like the Greens lost ground as the hard right consolidated its position.

It means that the EPP can operate without its usual mainstream political allies. Fourteen of its members have been nominated to the commission.

The group has already turned to the hard right –- home to parties like Italian Premier Georgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, which has neo-fascist roots, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s stridently nationalist Fidesz –- to force through the hearing schedule.

The second biggest bloc in the assembly, the center-left Socialists and Democrats, accused the EPP of defying an understanding that mainstream pro-European groups would leave the hard right out in the cold.

The socialists accused the EPP leadership of “irresponsible behavior” by working with the Spanish populist party Vox to accuse its nominee for the EU’s top climate and competition post, Teresa Ribera, of failing to do enough to prevent the catastrophic floods in eastern Spain.

The socialists said they voted in July to give von der Leyen a second term at the helm “on the basis of a pro-European, democratic majority.” But recently, they added, “we have seen that the EPP’s leadership is willing to risk the stability of the European Institutions.”

The Greens say they will refuse to back Meloni ally Raffaele Fitto as a new executive vice president — one of five at the commission — to oversee “cohesion policy,” which helps finance infrastructure projects with a big slice of the EU’s massive budget.

“Through their desperation to form unscrupulous alliances with the far-right, the EPP is undermining the democratic process of evaluating the skills of candidate commissioners,” Reintke said.

Von der Leyen had hoped proceedings would be wrapped up so that her new commission could start work by early December. It was not immediately clear when the endorsement votes might take place, or what allies the EPP might choose to secure them.

Netherland's Wopke Hoekstra, nominee for European Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth, gestures prior to making his opening address during a confirmation hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Estonia's Kaja Kallas, nominee for European Union High Representative and Vice-President for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks during her hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Member of European Parliament Marion Marechal, center, listens as France's Stephane Sejourne, nominee for European Commission Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, makes his opening address during his confirmation hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Member of European Parliament Sarah Knafo, right, listens to the opening address of France's Stephane Sejourne, nominee for European Commission Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, during his confirmation hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Italy's Raffaele Fitto, nominee for European Commissioner Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, speaks during his hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Spain's Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, nominee for European Union Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, attends her confirmation hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Spain's Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, nominee for European Union Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, attends her confirmation hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to pace the Milwaukee Bucks to a 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

It was a league-high for points by an NBA player this season and the second-highest single-game total for Antetokounmpo, who had 64 against Indiana last season.

Antetokounmpo hit 21 of 34 shots and 16 of 17 free throws and added 14 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit.

Brook Lopez added 29 points for the Bucks. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 35 points and Malik Beasley had 26 against his former team.

Detroit's Ron Holland II was fouled by Antetokounmpo with one second left in regulation and the score tied at 111, but Holland missed both free throws.

The Pistons were without starters Jaden Ivey and Tim Hardaway Jr. Ivey was out with a toe injury and Hardaway missed the game after taking stitches to the head following a fall in Tuesday’s game against Miami.

Milwaukee played without Damian Lillard (concussion protocol), Ryan Rollins (left shoulder instability) and Bobby Portis (right elbow contusion).

Pistons: Beasley was hot from 3-point range, hitting 4 of 5 in the first half as Detroit shot 61.5% from beyond the arc (8 of 13). He finished 8 of 16.

Bucks: Antetokounmpo made every basket for Milwaukee in the first quarter, hitting 7 of 10 field-goal attempts and all eight of his free throws for 22 of the team’s 24 points.

Detroit's Isaiah Stewart pulled down Antetokounmpo by the jersey and was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected with 3:02 left in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo made both free throws.

The Bucks improved to 22-1 against Detroit since the 2018-19 season and won their 10th straight in the series.

The Pistons visit Toronto on Friday night and the Bucks visit Charlotte on Saturday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Milwaukee Bucks' Gary Trent Jr. and Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham go after a loose ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Detroit Pistons' Ronald Holland II misses his second free throw with one second to go during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Andre Jackson Jr. and Detroit Pistons' Tobias Harris go after a loose ball during overtime of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham fouls Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Detroit Pistons' Wendell Moore Jr. fouls Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo gets past Detroit Pistons' Tobias Harris during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)