Strasbourg 14.09.2023 In spite of the strong determination to preserve nature expressed by the European citizens, the European Commission’s under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen aims at reviewing the conservation status of the wolf. During a heated debate MEPs accused EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen of calling wolf on the issue for personal revenge, and political gains without any scientific basis.

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In September last year, von der Leyen was personally impacted by the rise in wolf populations when her 30-year-old pony, Dolly, was killed by a male wolf in north-eastern Germany.

“This is an attempt to abuse power on the part of President von der Leyen,” Anja Hazekamp from the Left group said.

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Today, there is growing support for rewilding and wildlife comeback, however this comes with its own challenges. With wolves absent from many parts of Europe for hundreds of years, Europeans are now learning to live with these iconic and ecologically significant animals once again.

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In our rewilding landscapes we support co-existence by raising awareness and helping communities to take preventive measures. We also develop co-existence models, which allow people to benefit from wildlife comeback – for example, through wildlife watching and nature-based tourism. This is increasing the acceptance of wolves and the ongoing recovery of wolf populations.

In a debate convened by the European People’s Party (EPP) on Wednesday, right-leaning members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said the review was necessary to protect the livelihood of farmers in highland regions, claiming the livestock are being decimated by wolf packs.

“Today there are around 20,000 wolves in the European Union and the population is growing,” Herbert Dorfmann, the EPP’s spokesperson on agriculture in the EU parliament, said.

“Attacks of wolves on sheep and cattle have become almost a daily occurrence. We need to recognise the conflict between wolves and local farmers,” he added.

“We always talk about coexistence. But if two groups coexist in a territory where one is untouchable, and the other forced to suffer, then it’s not coexistence, it’s subordination,” Alessandro Panza of the Identity and Democracy group said.

The wolf is a so-called apex predator and plays a key role in European ecosystems. As a keystone species, wolves have both a direct and indirect impact on prey populations. Besides direct predation, wolves affect the behaviour of their prey through the so-called “ecology of fear“, meaning the presence of a predator also induces behavioural and physiological changes in prey species. This has a positive impact on the landscape, enabling many other plants and animals to flourish. In this regard, wolves initiate a domino effect, affecting species as diverse as birds, beavers, fish and butterflies.