The non-binding resolution was adopted a week ago with 381 votes in favor, 167 against, and 15 abstentions. The European People's Party received support from conservative and right-wing groups as well as the liberal Renew faction. Socialists, Greens, and other left-wing MEPs largely voted against.
Preliminary Investigation
The resolution does not mean that the Muslim Brotherhood is currently banned. EU countries are called upon to collect information to determine whether certain persons and organizations meet the legal criteria for inclusion on the European terrorist list.
According to supporters, networks around the Muslim Brotherhood attempt to gain influence within European institutions and civil society organizations. They speak of Islamist infiltration, where fundamentalist movements present themselves as defenders of democratic values while, according to the proposers, actually undermining them.
Promotion
Financial Flows
The Parliament also wants increased oversight of the allocation of European subsidies. The European Commission should investigate how much EU money ends up with organizations suspected of links to the Muslim Brotherhood. This includes monitoring financial flows through intermediaries.
One of the named organizations is FEMYSO, a European network of Islamic youth and student organizations. The resolution states possible links to the Muslim Brotherhood. FEMYSO denies these accusations and asserts that the organization is committed to social participation and equal rights.
Criminalization
Nine civil society organizations have strongly condemned the EP resolution. They fear that Islamic youth organizations and anti-racism groups will lose funding and be excluded from European consultations. According to them, the approach could lead to discrimination and criminalization of ordinary social activities of Muslims.
Fundamentalism
Supporters, on the other hand, emphasize that the measures are not aimed against Islam as a religion, but against political and fundamentalist networks. They believe European institutions must better control which organizations receive subsidies and gain access to official meetings and decision-making processes.
The resolution aligns with a French government report from 2025 on the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. The conclusions of that report are disputed. The European Parliament now seeks a joint European approach whereby national authorities exchange information and further investigate suspected links to Islamist networks.