21/10/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday, 21 October, the European Parliament approved the agreement reached with the Council of the European Union on the reform of the statute of European political parties and their political foundations by a large majority (446 votes in favour, 162 against, and 35 abstentions). At the heart of the interinstitutional negotiations figured the limited role that national parties from non-EU countries would play as ‘associated members’ of European political parties. MEPs wanted European parties to be able to cooperate with national parties in third countries where democracy can sometimes be undermined, whereas Member States pointed out the risk of foreign interference in European parties. It is now up to the EU Council to definitively adopt the regulation at first reading. See the approved legislative text: https://aeur.eu/f/j1y (MB)