Is the Eurosceptic far right about to form a new group in the European Parliament? Although the issue has not been discussed in the Chamber, it has been a regular feature in the corridors and press rooms of the Parliament in Strasbourg since Monday 5 July.
On Friday 2 July, 16 national parties, including Hungary’s Fidesz and Frenchwoman Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National, published a joint declaration (see EUROPE 12754/3) presented as a “base for a cultural and political common work” and addressed “to all parties and groups who share [their] views”.
For Manuel Bompard (GUE/NGL, France), this move shows “a certain form of political reconfiguration on the far right within Parliament”.
“We’re watching this with a lot of concern. If this attempt goes ahead, it would create the third largest group”, he told some journalists.
Other observers see this as just a desire to be heard, with no real desire to go further.
“Until now there has been no news about the possibility of having a new group. The only thing that we got is the declaration”, said the Parliament’s spokesman, Jaume Duch Guillot, on Monday.
“I don’t know what will happen, if they can form this group or not. In their formulation they were quite vague on this, so let’s see”, commented the EPP President of the Parliament, Manfred Weber from Germany.
For him, the only thing that unites these parties is “national egoism”. Some, he recalled, admire Vladimir Putin while others fear him; some argue for Serbia’s inclusion in the EU, while others are reluctant to enlarge eastwards.
“Too many issues separate them”, said MEP Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France), acknowledging that their grouping would be significant in terms of presence, but not content.
Also questioned by the press on the subject, the Slovenian Prime Minister, Janez Janša, who was visiting Parliament (see EUROPE 12756/1), merely insisted that no party was more legitimate than another and that care should be taken, particularly in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe, not to exclude anyone from the outset.
Institutionally, the only change that is expected to be confirmed in the coming days is the departure of two Italian MEPs from the ID group to the EPP (see other news in this newsletter). The procedure is well underway, a European source confirmed to EUROPE on Tuesday. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)