In a meeting on Wednesday 5 February, the members of the Greens-EFA group again discussed whether or not to include the Five Star Movement (M5S) in its group, but did not make a decision because of an ongoing split between delegations.
It appears that the internal balance of power has not changed between those who would like to include M5S to make up for the departing British MEPs (see EUROPE 12416/5) and those, including the German delegation, who oppose inclusion on the grounds of political incompatibility (as the M5S has been a coalition partner with Matteo Salvini's La Lega party). It appears that the German delegation showed some flexibility during the meeting. The French delegation and most of the members of the European Free Alliance seem to be open to the possibility of inclusion.
During the meeting, several speakers suggested that it would be a good idea to wait for the Five Star Movement’s annual conference, which will take place in March or April, before making a decision. The Greens-EFA may provide the M5S with a roadmap before making its decision.
The challenge for the Greens-EFA is to remain the fourth largest group in the European Parliament, ahead of the far right: as a result of Brexit, the group has lost ten British MEPs, a reduction in numbers that the arrival of four new members has only partly made up for (see EUROPE 12417/3). Last week, Catalan MEPs Carles Puigdemont and Toni Comín withdrew their applications to the group at the last minute, as they could see that the Greens-EFA group was likely to turn them down (see EUROPE 12414/5). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)