END) Otherwise the EP risks falling into a vicious cycle of distrust and coercion, where anti-European forces exploit every fracture.

16) Such an accord would demand discipline and compromise, but it could rebuild stable and effective democratic majorities - allowing the EP to act coherently vis-à-vis the Council and preventing far-right forces from dictating Europe’s political tempo and direction.

15) Time seems ripe to rethink inter-group cooperation. Pro-European forces – potentially including the Greens – should explore a genuine and binding coalition agreement that sets clear red lines, mutual obligations and joint positions on the Commission’s agenda.

14) The current “cooperation statement” between EPP, S&D and Renew – a two-page pledge of goodwill – increasingly looks like lip service. It was ill-suited from the start to ensure stable majorities. What’s needed now are real guardrails, binding commitments and a shared sense of direction.

13) For decades, the EP operated through “flexible majorities” and an informal grand coalition between the EPP and S&D, keeping the extremes at the margins. Now, with a stronger far right and a democratic centre split over key elements of the Commission’s agenda, that model is cracking.

12) Even if centrist groups patch up a deal on the first Omnibus by November 13 and avoid a toxic majority with the far right this time, the episode exposes once again the limits of informal, trust-based cooperation in today’s Parliament.

11) The EPP is right that its electoral weight deserves reflection in compromises. But brandishing the far right as leverage is a dangerous shortcut. It may deliver short-term wins, but it corrodes the democratic centre that makes strategic, future-oriented EU policymaking possible.

10) Yet what’s at stake isn’t just one file. It’s the basic ability of democratic forces in the EP to cooperate without the constant shadow of anti-European forces shaping outcomes – directly or as a permanent threat hanging over every vote.

9) The Sustainability Omnibus is now parked until the next plenary session mid-November. Centrist camps will try to hammer out a compromise, but trust issues have only deepened – and are unlikely to fade, with EPP leaders (incl. Metsola) leaving the door open to align with the far right next time.

8) Backed into a corner, S&D leadership ultimately caved to avoid more drastic deregulation. But dissent within the group lingered. The result: a visibly shaky compromise and an open invitation for the far right to exploit divisions and trigger defections through forcing a secret vote.

7) The Omnibus vote was the latest proof. EPP negotiator Jörgen Warborn openly flirted with “another majority” if centrists refused to yield, even sharing a parallel deregulation draft ready to pass with far-right support.

6) But this episode is part of a bigger story. Under Manfred Weber, the EPP has made a habit of leveraging its pivotal position in the EP – routinely pressuring centrist partners with the implicit (or explicit) threat of forging majorities with far-right groups if they don’t bend to its demands.

5) The blame game kicked in fast. The EPP branded the Socialists “unreliable”, as a list of 31 S&D MEPs who had voiced doubts before the vote began circulating, implying they had broken ranks. While evidence is thin, S&D leader Garcia indeed refrained from enforcing a strict whip ahead of the vote.

4) Given the agreement, many expected a mere rubber-stamp exercise. But in a surprise move, the deal fell short of a majority by a narrow margin in the secret ballot: 318 against, 309 in favor, 34 abstentions. The "von-der-Leyen" majority once again looked fragile.

3) After hard-fought negotiations, the so-called "platform" of Conservatives (EPP), Socialists (S&D) and Liberals (Renew) agreed in the Legal Affairs Committee on an EP position for trilogue talks. Yet plenary approval was still required, as many MEPs saw the text as too or not far-reaching enough.

2) For context: the “Sustainability Omnibus” is the first major file in the Commission’s simplification drive, part of its pledge to reduce the burden on businesses. It would streamline two pillars of the EU’s sustainability framework: the CSRD on corporate reporting and the CSDDD on due diligence.