Brussels, 16/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - “False comfort” was how European Social Democrats in the European Parliament described the announcement of the dissolution of Nigel Farage's EFDD (Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy) Group, announced on Thursday 16 October on the Twitter account of Parliament spokesperson Jaume Duch. Farage, the UKIP leader in the UK, has been abandoned by Latvian MEP Iveta Grigule, meaning that the maverick has lost one of the seven nationalities required to be able to form a Parliamentary group (in addition to having 25 MEPs). The European Socialists are now concerned that Marine Le Pen, who had failed in her attempt to form a group in the face of competition from her Europhobic opposite number, might be able to take advantage of the situation.
Farage had succeeded in holding his EFD Group together throughout the previous parliament, 2009-2014. This turn of events means that he will enjoy the speaking time allotted to non-attached MEPs and funding will be granted on an individual basis rather than for a group. According to some media, this break-up could mean a significant loss for the UKIP communication budget. One thing is certain: Farage will no longer have a seat in the Conference of the Presidents of the groups in the Parliament.
The EFDD was formed after the European elections in May through the alliance of the 24 UKIP MEPs and the 17 members of the Five Star Movement of Beppe Grillo from Italy. He received the support of the French National Front dissident Joelle Bergeron, two Sweden Democrat MEPs, one from the Latvian Union of Greens and Farmers, one from the Order and Justice Party of Lithuania, and one from the Czech Party of Free Citizens. The EFDD claims that Manfred Weber, EPP leader in the European Parliament, and Martin Schulz, the Socialist president of the Parliament, were central to the Latvian's defection. It is claimed that they put pressure on her to be elected to lead the parliamentary delegation to Kazakhstan. Farage has complained about the Parliament's failure to abide by the d'Hondt rule on allocating leaderships of delegations. (SP)