Pro-European groups keep the far right out of Brussels power

The European Parliament is working on the formation of new political groups. Although the conservative and right-wing political parties have won votes and seats in many EU countries, it appears that the current European coalition (of Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Liberals), with the support of Conservatives and Greens, will defeat the (still divided) right-wing and nationalist groups outside the EU power centers.

A new right-wing grouping led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Hungarian Fides party has now become the third largest faction in size (with 84 seats). Those Patriots for Europe more or less swallowed up the former ID grouping of far-right groups, with the exception of the German AfD and some controversial nationalist groups.

In addition, the European Conservative alliance ECR has become the fourth largest party in Strasbourg, but due to infighting between both Spanish and Italian radicals, there has been no right-wing joining of forces in the European Parliament - just like in recent decades.

As a result, in preparation for the first meeting of the new parliament (in the week of July 16 - 19), it is already clear how most political functions will be divided in the coming years. This shows that the coveted and influential chairmanships of the committees will once again go to the Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats, the Liberals and to a single politician from the Greens and the ECR conservatives.

The far-right Patriots for Europe are excluded from positions of influence by an informal cordon sanitary. Despite their larger size compared to the previous far-right alliance, the ID group, they are likely to struggle to obtain influential jobs in parliament.

The traditionally centre-right and centre-left parties, which once formed a majority, now hold just 45% of the seats, with the EPP on 188 and the Socialists on 136. The composition of the groups could still change ahead of the first meeting of the new European parliament. A vote will then also be taken on a possible second term for Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission.