Brussels, 08/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - Front national MEP, Bruno Gollnisch, indicated on Monday that thanks to support from new Romanian and Bulgarian MEPs, the far right is hoping to soon have its own political group at the European Parliament. He declared to AFP that, “for the moment, it's looking good. It's not yet done but I'm quite optimistic”. With the accession to the European Union of Bulgaria and Romania on 1 January and the entry of 35 Romanian and 18 Bulgarian MEPs to the European Parliament, 20 MEPs are now needed from five Member States to form a political group. For the instant, 18 MEPs of seven nationalities are ready to join this group if it is set up, explained Gollnisch: seven French MEPs from the French National Front, including its president Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter Marine Le Pen, the Austrian FPÖ's Andreas Mölzer, three Belgians from the Vlaams Belang, Ashley Mote from Britain and a Bulgarian. The Greater Romania Party of Corneliu Vadim Tudor also announced at the end of December that its five MEPs would join the group.
The European Network against Racism (ENAR), which represents more than 600 NGOs in the whole of the EU is concerned by this development. In a communication published on Monday, ENAR is calling on all MEPs to refuse to work with the proposed group or with any of its members, in compliance with the commitments in the Charter of European political parties for a non-racist society. The charter, signed by most of the political groups in 2001, stipulates that signatories refuse to make any kind of alliance, or facilitate any political cooperation at any level, with parties that incite racial hatred or support ethnic prejudices that are likely to provoke racist hatred. ENAR stated that, “at a time when Europe has still not adopted an effective instrument against racist crime and hate speech, the European Parliament must demonstrate leadership and political courage”. (hb)