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)

NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Penny chose not to testify and defense lawyers rested their case Friday at his trial in the death of an agitated man he choked on a subway train.

Closing arguments are expected after Thanksgiving in the closely watched manslaughter case about the death of Jordan Neely, 30.

The encounter between Penny, a white Marine veteran, and Neely, a homeless Black man with mental health and drug problems, has been drawn into U.S. political divides over race, public safety and cities’ ability to handle mental illness and social ills.

Penny, 26, has pleaded not guilty. Many criminal defendants don't take the stand, and juries are routinely instructed that they cannot hold defendants' silence — a constitutional right — against them.

One of Penny’s lawyers, Daniel Kenniff, noted after court that jurors did hear from Penny, in the form of his recorded statements to police minutes and hours after he put Neely in a chokehold.

“Virtually everything he said then is consistent with credible testimony of his fellow passengers," Kenniff said.

Penny told police that he wrapped his arm around Neely's neck, took him to the floor and “put him out” because he was angrily throwing things and making threatening comments. Penny said on police video that he hadn't wanted to injure Neely but rather to keep him from hurting anyone else.

A number of other passengers testified that they were scared of Neely and relieved that Penny grabbed hold of him.

A man who later stepped in and held down Neely's arms, however, told jurors that he urged Penny to let go but that the veteran kept choking Neely for a time.

Prosecutors say Penny meant to protect people but recklessly used too much force, overlooking Neely's humanity and making no effort to spare his life.

City medical examiners ruled that the chokehold killed Neely. A pathologist hired by Penny's defense disputed that finding.

Prosecutors, defense lawyers and the judge are set to meet Monday to hash out jury instructions.

Daniel Penny leaves the courtroom for a lunch break in New York, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Daniel Penny arrives at the court after break in New York, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)