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The AfD is looking for a bride in Brussels. The project has unexpectedly come to a standstill – an expert ranks the possible partners.
Better to leave than be thrown out: That is probably the plan of the AfD in Europe. Back in May, the far-right ID faction had already given the AfD the boot in the European Parliament. Before the entire associated party family does the same, Alice Weidel and Co. probably want to jump ship themselves – and find new friends in Brussels.
AfD and the “Sovereignists”: Suddenly worried about even more extreme right-wing extremists?
The current status of these plans is a little unclear. Mirror had reported on Saturday (22 June) that a parliamentary group could be formed this week. Party circles confirmed at least that the dpa Not long after, the (temporary) emergency brake was applied: the talks are at least on hold – according to information from the portal Euractiv The AfD wants to check the potential partners again carefully, probably out of concern about cooperation with extremists of the worst kind.
This may sound surprising in connection with the AfD, which is currently appearing radically at EU level, but it could be justified in terms of content: “This is, so to speak, the very, very right-wing fringe of the European party landscape,” says EU-Expert Nicolai von Ondarza in conversation with IPPEN.MEDIA about the rumored possible party partners of the AfD in the European Parliament.
AfD seeks friends in the EU: “Mostly parties that were not even compatible with the far right”
Should the planned AfD faction be called Mirror According to the report, “The Sovereignists” are the Polish “Konfederacja” and “Mi Hazánk” from Hungary, who were even more right-wing coalition partners in their home countries and at times supported the populist governments of PiS and Viktor Orbán. “SOS Romania” and “Se Acabó La Fiesta” from Spain also have a very clear reputation.
“These are mostly the parties that have not been able to connect with the other right-wing factions so far,” says von Ondarza, head of a research group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, about the “sovereignists'” group of candidates. He adds: “Just like the AfD is now, having been expelled from the ID.” The Hungarian representatives can be “relatively clearly classified in the right-wing extremist spectrum.” The Confederacy also comes “relatively close, if you look at the scientific assessments.”
The alleged withdrawal of the AfD is also interesting because the planned formation of a parliamentary group could succeed according to the cold facts, such as Euractiv quoted several AfD sources – the formal hurdles had apparently been overcome. Overall, the AfD and its hard-right allies would have to gather at least 23 members from seven countries in order to form a parliamentary group. According to reports, this was actually achieved.
AfD worried about potential new EU partners: “Uncontrollable”?
However, the AfD has apparently had concerns about at least three possible parliamentary partners. According to information from Euractiv the potential new colleagues from Hungary, Romania and Slovakia (“Hnutie Republika”) – these could be “uncontrollable”, according to a warning from AfD circles. The website t-online.de also referred to concerns about shrill anti-Semitic tones from the Confederation, for example. At this point, the AfD may have crossed a red line. Not to forget: the party itself is being monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and debates about banning it keep coming up. The head of the SOS Romania party, Diana Șoșoacă, has also already attracted attention with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about the war in Ukraine.
The next steps could now be discussed at the AfD party conference this weekend. The situation is certainly tricky: joining a faction brings financial advantages and also opportunities to participate in EU operations. On the other hand, partners who are all too obviously brown could quickly become a burden at the ballot box. The search for non-factional partners leads into “completely insane” territory, quoted t-online Internal party warnings. A “sovereignist” faction could theoretically do without one or two of the possible parties. But not more – especially because the faction members have to come from seven countries. That is “a certain hurdle,” says von Ondarza.
New AfD group in the European Parliament? “It will probably pursue its fundamental opposition”
If the group does come into being, however, it could at least be a small turning point in the European Parliament. Von Ondarza sees one development strengthened: the national-conservative ECR group will probably emerge from the reshuffle of the European Parliament as the strongest right-wing group. The ID, which is further to the fringes, is likely to lose out.
It is now also “quite clear” that, at least for the time being, there will be no “overall merger of all right-wing parties”. “Viktor Orbán was in Rome on Monday and, together with Giorgia Meloni, stressed that they are talking to each other but will not form a joint faction yet,” says the political scientist. “The way everything is shaking and rattling, it is even more likely that there will be a strengthened ECR, a rather weakened ID faction with a dominant French part of the National Rally and then there will probably be this very small right-wing faction around the AfD.”
And what would be the plan of a possible new faction around the AfD? “It will probably pursue its fundamental opposition in the European Parliament,” says von Ondarza – research by IPPEN.MEDIA in cooperation with Abgeordnetenwatch had illustrated this blocking attitude before the European elections. The influence on parliamentary work will probably remain rather small: the group would not have any major impact “as far as the actual majority situation is concerned.” (fn)
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