The far-right groups in the European Parliament excluded several other parties, more of which propose even more radical policies. The change of the name of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, led by Marine Le Pen, to Patriots for Europe with the addition of the Hungarian Fidesz, the Czech ANO, and Spanish Vox after it defected from the ECR group, gathered a wide range of anti-EU parties and pro-Kremlin parties. The creation of the Patriots for Europe facilitated the long-term shift towards solid conservatism of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. However, the most extremist side of the European far-right remained out of these alliances. Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party declared extremist by German courts, was excluded from ID last May. Since then, Germans have been seeking partnerships with other similar parties.
Yesterday, the extremists of the European Parliament established the Europe of Sovereign Nations groups with 25 MEPs representing eight countries. The new group’s leadership is in the hands of AfD and the Polish New Hope party – an ally of the Konfederacja (Confederation) coalition. The co-presidents elected are René Aust from AfD and Stanisław Tyszka from the Polish New Hope. At the same time, Sarah Knafo (Reconquête), Milan Uhrík (Republika) and Stanislav Stoyanov (Revival) will serve as deputy chairpersons. The new group includes parties marked by extreme Russophilia, with the exclusion of the Polish partner.
The alliance of Germans and Poles came as a surprise. It may create friction between them, as AfD and the New Hope may soon class on the crucial issue of German reparations and compensation for the Nazi crimes in Poland during World War 2, a significant and unresolved issue in Polish politics.
However, the tiny size of the Europe of Sovereign Nations, which undoubtedly will promote more radical views than the Patriots, limits their ability to influence legislation. This is despite the group leaders having the right to attend the influential Conference of Presidents meetings, which set the Parliament’s agenda and handle its internal affairs.
A variety of extremism
AfD is well known for expressing extremist ideas, as certified by court decisions against the party and some of its leaders and by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), which has classified the AfD as potentially extreme since 2021. BfV keeps the party under surveillance.
AfD’s extremist view led Marine Le Pen to ask ID to expel Germans, considering the partnership harmful to her attempts to build a more moderate profile. Expelled last May, AfD searched for a group to find refuge and avoid isolation in the Non-Inscrits group.
The announcement of the creation of the Patriots for Europe by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and the leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), Herbert Kickl, on June 30, seemed to be an ideal solution. AfD expressed interest in joining the group. After all, FPÖ was a close ally of AfD. However, its leaders didn’t understand that a new group had not been founded, implying a split in the ID, but rather a change of ID name occurred. Consequently, the Germans left out of the initiative and started to search for other partners again. In June’s elections, AfD obtained 15.9% and won 15 seats, increasing its seats by 6.
The first such a partner was ready. After the expulsion of AfD from the ID, the Revival party in Bulgaria of Kostadin Kostadinov expressed solidarity with the Germans. It declared available to join AfD in a new group. Founded in 2014, Revival combines its Russophilia with a harsh anti-EU, anti-NATO, and anti-American rhetoric. In addition, the party promotes anti-vax ideas and spreads racist slogans against the Roma community and the LGBT people in Bulgaria. In the last European elections, it won 3 seats with 13.98% of the votes.
Despite the group including eight parties, absolute control is in the hands of Germans and Poles. However, the crisis in the Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland after last year’s general elections is a gold opportunity for the New Hope to increase its influence in the right Polish political spectrum by constantly attacking PiS. The German remuneration issue is one of the fields the Confederation will target. This could eventually create severe friction with AfD.
The New Hope party of Sławomir Mentzen brings the alliance 3 of the six seats won by the Confederation coalition. The party is a continuation of the one founded by Janusz Korwin-Mikke, a former MEP and controversial figure due to many political scandals related to women’s rights and gender politics. Interestingly, the party is the only member of the new group and the only partner in Confederation unaffected by Russophilia.
The Europe of Sovereign Nations also includes two parties that remained isolated in the European Parliament despite their will. Practically, betrayals led them towards the new alliance.
France’s Reconquête, the party of Éric Zemmour, became a member of the ECR group under the efforts of the then vice-president Marion Maréchal, the niece of Marine Le Pen. After Maréchal defected to the camp of the National Rally in an attempt to form a vast far-right alliance in the French snap legislative elections, Zemmour suffered a devastating defeat that left his party out of the National Assembly. A second blow to Zemmour arrived when Maréchal, with another three MEPs, were accepted as ECR members, leaving Zemmour with only one MEP.
The Czech Republic’s Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) of Tomio Okamura was a victim of Le Pen’s political calculations. An old and loyal ally of the French far-right leader and an ID member, SPD was excluded from the Patrions for Europe due to the presence of Babiš’ ANO party. ANO arrived first in June’s elections with 26.14% and won 7 seats, while SPD just one with 5.73%
The other three parties of the Europe of Sovereign Nations also represent political environments nobody wants to deal with.
The Republic Movement in Slovakia of Milan Uhrík was founded after a split in the neo-Nazi People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS) of Marian Kotleba. The split caused ĽSNS a devastating defeat in the last European elections, passing from 12.1% in the 2019 elections to 0.48%! The Republik Movement arrived second with 12.53%, winning two seats in the European Parliament. The movement advocates the exit from the EU and NATO, promotes anti-LGBTI and racist rhetoric and embraces conspirational theories, including anti-vaccine views.
The Our Home Movement in Hungary was founded in 2018 after a split in the far-right Jobbik party by its Vice-President, László Toroczkai. It embraces neo-fascist and racist views promoting anti-immigration, anti-Masonic, anti-Roma people, antisemitic and homophobic rhetoric. Moreover, Our Home Movement is an irredentist party, a fact that may create friction with Slovak partners. It won 6.71% with one seat in June’s European elections.
Lithuania’s People and Justice Union of Petras Gražulis, known for his homophobic views and scandals politician, supports Donald Trump‘s election as US president and promotes anti-EU issues. In June’s European elections, the party obtained 5.45% of votes and won one seat.
The new group rejected MEP Maximilian Krah, earlier expelled by AfD, due to his statements about the SS and accusations of corruption by Chinese services. The group also declined requests for admission by the irredentist SOS Romania party of Diana Șoșoacă (one MEP) and the two other members of the Confederation coalition, the monarchist Confederation of the Polish Crown (KKP) of Grzegorz Braun (one MEP), and the National Movement of Krzysztof Bosak (2 MEPs).
It is unknown if the Greek Orthodox fundamentalist Victory (Niki) party (one MEP) will join the Europe of Sovereign Nations.
