The largest group in the European Parliament has worked more closely with far-right parties than was previously known and until now was denied. This involved coordination between EPP politicians and the extreme right Patriots group around proposals to tighten European migration policy.
This cooperation occurred not only through voting behavior but also through prior direct communication. MEPs and staff consulted in a WhatsApp group and additionally held personal meetings to discuss proposals, as has now emerged.
Reception Camps
The prepared legislative proposals included plans to transfer rejected asylum seekers to so-called reception camps outside the European Union. That proposal was later approved in the parliament, to the great disappointment of Dutch liberal MEP Malik Azmani (Renew/VVD). In recent years, he had prepared a mitigated text proposal as an EP rapporteur that was rejected at the last moment by the Christian Democrats.
Promotion
Representatives of far-right groups, including the German party AfD, were also involved in the preparatory discussions. The coordination went beyond occasional consultation. Cooperation with the extreme right is particularly sensitive in Germany; there the AfD has recently surged to become the third party in large federal states in elections.
Condemnation
EPP group leader Manfred Weber now states in a declaration to the German press that he was not aware of the communication between his group members, staff, and other groups. This contrasts with earlier statements where he emphasized there was no cooperation with the extreme right. He also previously spoke of a clear boundary toward parties he considered opponents of the EU.
According to Weber, he did not authorize participation in such chat groups. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz responded sharply and condemned the conduct. He emphasized that cooperation with the extreme right is undesirable and must come to an end.
Sanctions
According to Merz, the responsibility now lies with Weber. He must ensure that such practices stop and decide if further steps are necessary following what has occurred. Recently, Weber imposed sanctions on two Dutch (agrarian) MEPs who did not comply with group agreements not to support motions of censure against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Those two Dutch group members were barred from speaking in committees and parliament for six months, received no speaking time, and have now, out of anger, switched to the conservative ECR group.