The EU’s outgoing top official on Thursday attacked the use of the phrase “protecting our European way of life” by the EU’s incoming top official.

The rebuke, by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of the word choice of Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen — both are members of the EU’s dominant center-right political family, the European People’s Party (EPP) — was the first evidence of any discord between the current and future EU executives.

It was also a significant escalation in an ongoing controversy over use of the “way of life” phrase in a title for a new Commission vice president position that will oversee migration and asylum policy.

“I don’t like the idea to oppose the European way of life to migration,” Juncker, who leaves office on October 31, said in an interview with Euronews. “Accepting those coming from far away in Europe is part of the European way of life.”

It was far from the harshest denunciation of von der Leyen’s proposed title for the portfolio of the Greek commissioner-designate, Margaritis Schinas. Fiercer critics, including some infuriated members of the European Parliament, blasted the phrase as a “dog-whistle” of far-right extremists, more befitting anti-migrant politicians like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán than the president-elect of the EU executive.

On a more substantive level, the critics said that by outlining a vice presidential portfolio specifically focused on mitigating the effects of irregular migration, encouraging legal migration of “people with the skills and talent our economy and labor market need” and combining responsibilities for overseeing integration, education and efforts to develop a more skilled workforce, von der Leyen had adopted the “Fortress Europe” mentality espoused openly by Orbán and other EU leaders with protectionist instincts.

Supporters of von der Leyen, including some of her allies in the EPP, rose up in her defense on Thursday, noting that there was much to be proud of regarding the European way of life and that the president-elect was valiantly refusing to surrender the phrase to anti-EU extremists. They also pointed out that the phrase had been invoked countless times in other contexts, including by the EPP’s “lead candidate” for Commission president Manfred Weber, who had made the phrase a centerpiece of his campaign earlier this year.

“It has been a surprise for everybody, the names of the new portfolios, because they are too creative for what we are used to in Brussels,” Esteban González Pons, a Spanish MEP and vice president of the EPP group, said. Still, he said, there was nothing to worry about with the proposed portfolio on migration.

“We clearly support the idea that the Commission has to support the European way of life,” González Pons said. “In fact, Manfred Weber’s campaign was based on the idea that there is a European way of life, which is not only an economic or social way of life but also a cultural way of being in the world, different from the American way of life, different to the way that all the rest of the world lives.”

He continued: “Perhaps what many people have not understood is why inside of this portfolio called European Way of Life there was responsibility of immigration. But I think those that haven’t understood it were not aware that when we talk about European way of life, what we are talking about is asylum and integration. The European way of life is about those coming from war, from hunger, from climate change and to integrate all those who want to come and live with us.”

‘No quick decision’ on name

As the controversy began to reach boiling point on Wednesday night, von der Leyen’s spokesman, Jens Flosdorff, told POLITICO that the president-elect was prepared to hear out all sides. “We think about all the arguments, but there’s for sure no quick decision.”

Depending on perspective, the controversy either represented a significant flashpoint in a crucial debate on the EU’s values and identity or it was the latest bit of absurd EU navel-gazing, an only-in-the-Brussels-bubble brouhaha that would benefit no one but nativists, nationalists, Brexiteers and other avowed enemies of the bloc.

Whatever one’s view, the hullaballoo shows no sign of abating.

European Parliament President David Sassoli said at a news conference on Thursday that leaders of the political groups were clearly troubled by the portfolio title, but had stopped short of sending von der Leyen a letter demanding an immediate change. Instead, he said he had invited von der Leyen to a meeting of the Parliament’s Conference of Presidents later this month to explain her thinking.

“There’s no secret that there are objections to some of the names … of the portfolios, which have been put forward by President von der Leyen,” Sassoli said. “And I’ve asked the president to come to the Conference of Presidents … so that we can talk about this. I think lots of people are thinking about this and it will launch the dialogue between ourselves and her very nicely, I believe.”

But critics in the Parliament were hardly mollified by the prospect of a dialogue in a few weeks’ time.

On Wednesday, Karima Delli, a French Green MEP and chairwoman of the Transport and Tourism Committee, led fellow committee chairs in sending a letter to von der Leyen demanding that she change the portfolio title. On Thursday, however, Philippe Lamberts, a Belgian MEP and co-leader of the Greens, complained that some senior Parliament officials — including Sassoli’s predecessor Antonio Tajani, an Italian EPP MEP — had “minimized” the concerns.

“The phrase ‘protecting our European way of life’ is nothing but dog-whistle terminology designed to encourage the far-right, especially when used in connection with migration,” Lamberts said in a scathing statement issued by the Greens group. “What’s worse is that the right wing of the house, led by Antonio Tajani, are playing fast and loose with procedure to block the Parliament from attempting to demand President-elect von der Leyen changes this controversial title.

“An all-white European Commission claiming to protect ‘our European way of life’ is a far cry from the idea of unity in diversity on which this Union is built,” Lamberts added. “Von der Leyen must present a better proposal when she attends the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament next week.”

Migration portfolio

Von der Leyen gave her critics substantial ammunition by publishing a mission letter to Schinas that made only one reference to refugees and then only in the context of charging the new vice president with “improving the integration of migrants and refugees into society.” Her letter offered no mention of Europe’s tradition of offering safe haven to those seeking to escape war or persecution, or those fleeing hunger or natural disasters.

“Protecting our European way of life requires making sure workers are equipped to thrive in our evolving labor market,” she wrote. “A declining workforce and a digital and basic skills gap brings into sharp focus the need to equip people with the tools and knowledge they need. It also highlights the need for well-managed legal migration, a strong focus on integration and ensuring our communities are cohesive and close-knit.”

She continued: “The European way of life is built around solidarity, peace of mind and security. We must address and allay legitimate fears and concerns about the impact of irregular migration on our economy and society. This will require us to work together to find common solutions which are grounded in our values and our responsibilities. We must also work more closely together on security, notably on new and emerging threats that cut across borders and policies.”

Schinas — a former MEP who was Juncker’s chief spokesman until his nomination to become the Greek commissioner — is one of the most prominent and well-liked members of von der Leyen’s new team, renowned for his generally good-natured sparring with reporters at the Commission’s midday press conference, and occasionally a cause for groaning because of his ability to spin issues or decline to answer an unwanted question.

But his dedication to the EU and European project is undisputed. Even as Juncker criticized the title proposed by von der Leyen, he defended Schinas, telling Euronews that the title did not fit with the Greek nominee’s personal values.

“A European way of life is putting together our main talents and energies, and included in that room is the fact that you have to respect the others, independently from their color and independently from their initial home state,” Juncker said in the interview. As for the title, the outgoing Commission president said: “I think that this will have to be changed.”

The Commission’s chief spokeswoman insisted later Thursday that Juncker had not criticized von der Leyen and that his complaint was with how some were interpreting the title.

“He is not criticizing the president-elect,” the spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, said. “On the contrary, he actually said very positive words about her, if you were to watch the entire interview. What the president said is that he criticizes and he strongly disagrees with the interpretation that is given to this portfolio name, which is not correct.”

But when asked directly in the video interview if he agreed with the use of the phrase in the job title, Juncker answered flatly: “No.”

Gonzalez Pons of the EPP group said that von der Leyen was smart to follow Weber’s example and adopt the phrase on way of life.

“When I heard Manfred Weber using this expression the first time, I thought that it was brilliant,” he said. “There is and there should be a European way to stay in the world, related to market economy but also to social rights, social security, public health system, public education system, scientific thought, Christian roots, rule of law, human rights.”

However, the liberal Renew Europe group has said it will join calls demanding von der Leyen change the title.

The controversy could, however, offer a small benefit to von der Leyen: distracting from more substantive concerns about other Commission nominees, including some who are the subject of past or ongoing legal inquiries.

In any event, Andreeva, who replaced Schinas on the podium for the midday press conferences, said Thursday from that perch that there was  “no name change or any changes to announce.”

As for the future title of her former boss, she said: “At the moment, there’s clearly no quick decision.”

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