European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is confronting a severe political crisis after two key centrist blocs in the European Parliament-Socialists and Liberals-threatened to withdraw their support, accusing her of pandering to far-right forces and undermining the legislative process. The flashpoint for this backlash is the abrupt withdrawal of the EU’s Green Claims Directive, a key piece of legislation designed to crack down on corporate “greenwashing.” The move, which came after pressure from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP)-von der Leyen’s own political group-has triggered accusations of betrayal and sparked warnings of an impending institutional crisis within the EU.

The directive, which had already progressed through significant stages of legislative scrutiny and enjoyed the backing of both the European Parliament and the EU Council, aimed to impose strict verification requirements on environmental claims made by companies. Its goal was to safeguard consumers and promote genuine sustainability practices across the single market. But on Friday, the Commission announced it was withdrawing the proposal entirely, despite the months of negotiation and support it had garnered.

The fallout was immediate and fierce. Valérie Hayer, chair of the Renew Europe group-home to many centrist and liberal MEPs-declared, “We are on the brink of an institutional crisis.” She warned that von der Leyen’s decision “seriously jeopardizes the platform of the pro-European majority.” The sentiment was echoed by Socialist and Democrat (S&D) officials who accused the Commission president of breaching the fragile trust that underpinned her administration’s parliamentary support.

The controversy lays bare the........

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