German conservatives pile pressure on von der Leyen to dismantle Brussels ‘machine’

(Oliver Noyan – Politico) German conservatives are preparing to confront European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with a stark ultimatum: Rein in Brussels control and red tape or face a new push to curb the Commission’s powers. Von der Leyen is set to attend a gathering of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives in Berlin on Monday, where the group plans to face her with tougher demands on fast-tracking cuts to what they see as burdensome EU regulations weighing on German businesses, two of the lawmakers told POLITICO. Drafts of a new strategy paper by the conservative parliamentary group, which were obtained by POLITICO, lay bare the increasingly hardball tactics German lawmakers are deploying to get what they want in Brussels. The most recent draft dated last Thursday, titled “agenda for sustainable reduction of bureaucracy at EU level,” included a list of 27 demands directed at the Commission. – German conservatives pile pressure on von der Leyen to dismantle Brussels ‘machine’ – POLITICO