Brussels (Brussels Morning): Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) from Germany has joined hands with political forces from France and central and eastern Europe to form a second far-right group in the EU parliament.
A new far-right group has been composed in the European Parliament under the name “Europe of Sovereign Nations” (ESN), collecting parties that until today lacked political association due to the radical character of their ideas.
How Many MEPs Are in the ESN Group?
The appearance contains 25 Members European Parliament from eight member states, enough to designate a formal group in the hemicycle and bypass the category of non-attached, which greatly diminishes the relevance and speaking time of lawmakers. Its composition and name were revealed after a constitutive session in Brussels, ending days of mounting hypothesis. The announcement comes just two days after the appearance of Viktor Orbán‘s Patriots for Europe.
What Is the Ideological Stance of ESN Members?
The eight parties of ESN are connected by a rabid opposition to migration management, the Green Deal, social progressivism and military aid to Ukraine. Additionally, they all challenge the project of European integration, under which nations delegate some of their competencies to supranational institutions to make a political and economic union.
Tomio Okamura, the Freedom and Direct Democracy party leader, who co-established the group, set out its ambitions: “We will fight against the Green Deal, migration, the Islamisation of Europe and we want the return of powers from Brussels back to the national European states.”
The top voice in the group is AfD, overlooking more than half of the seats in Europe of Sovereign Nations. One of its legislators, René Aust, has been designated as co-president. Stanisław Tyszka, from Confederation, is the other one.
What Are the Goals of the ESN Group?
“We have come together because we share the goal of having a significant impact on Europe’s political future through decisive action and strategic planning. This can only succeed collectively, as European history shows. Influence has always been wielded by those who dared to organize and act strategically,” Aust and Tyszka stated. “We choose this path not because it is easy, but because it is necessary to realize our shared vision of a strong, united, and forward-looking Europe of Fatherlands.”
What Controversies Surround the AfD?
On the other hand, the AfD has been indicted for promoting ethno-nationalist beliefs, spreading Islamophobia, employing historical revisionism and denying the existence of man-made climate change.
Earlier this year, the investigative journalism organisation Correctiv disclosed that AfD officials had taken place at a conference that examined “remigration” plans to deport asylum seekers, foreign residents and “non-affiliated” German residents from the country. The report caused massive outrage and prompted weeks of mass protests. In May, a German court marked the AfD an official suspect of extremism, allowing intelligence services to observe its activities and communications.
Why Was AfD Ousted from the ID Group?
Later that month, AfD was ousted from the now-dissolved Identity and Democracy (ID) group after its then-leader, Maximillian Krah pointed to an Italian newspaper that not everybody who sported an SS uniform was a war criminal. Separately, Krah’s offices were ransacked when his assistant was charged on accusations of spying for the Chinese secret services.
AfD’s non-attached position fuelled weeks of speculation about a potential new group in Brussels initially thought to be called “The Sovereignists.” Other partners include Poland’s Confederation (or Konfederacja), a bloc that is staunchly anti-LGBTQ, anti-feminism and anti-abortion.
