Next week we are in Strasbourg where we will be voting on the new European Commission, which is happening on Wednesday. There will be a debate on the forthcoming European Council as well as debates on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and the COP 25 Climate Summit in Madrid that takes place in December. Read on for more details:

Vote on the von der Leyen Commission

The new European Commission, set to be headed by Ursula von der Leyen, will be up for a vote on Wednesday. There will be a debate before MEPs decide on whether to approve the new Commission, with ECR Co-Chairs Ryszard Legutko and Raffaele Fitto taking the floor for the Group.

Debate: Wednesday @ 9:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

European Council debate

On Tuesday morning MEPs will debate the forthcoming December European Council meeting where leaders are set to discuss climate change and the EU’s next seven-year budget. ECR Co-Chair Raffaele Fitto will speak on behalf of the Group during the debate.

When: Tuesday @ 9:00

Velvet Revolution

On Monday, MEPs will hold a debate on the Velvet Revolution, the non-violent transition of power in Czechoslovakia, which took place from November to December 1989. It brought an end to the Communist Party and the one-party state in Czechoslovakia and paved the way for democracy. Several ECR MEPs were leading figures in the demonstrations that brought about the transition of power and were also part of the first governments that emerged after the end of Communism.

Debate: Monday @ 17:00

2018 Sakharov Prize winner finally able to receive the award

Oleg Sentsov, Crimean filmmaker and activist, will finally be able to receive his 2018 Sakharov Prize after being released from prison. Ukrainian Sentsov was sentenced by a Russian Court to 20 years in prison on spurious charges of plotting terrorism in illegally annexed Crimea, before finally being released in a prisoner swap deal in September.

When: Tuesday @ 12:00

COP25

In advance of the next UN climate summit taking place in Madrid in December, Parliament will debate and vote on a resolution setting out MEPs’ goals for the talks. The ECR Group fully supports the Paris Agreement but opposes calls to increase recently agreed EU emissions and renewable energy targets, which are still to be implemented by many national governments. Furthermore, we continue to call for climate policy to protect economic competitiveness and support the communities most affected by the low-carbon transition.

Debate: Monday @ 17:00

Vote: Thursday @ 12:30