In July 2024, a coalition of right-wing extremist parties in the European Parliament formed the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group. ESN consists of 25 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) representing eight countries. The leadership of this group is primarily held by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Poland’s New Hope party. This coalition includes parties that exhibit strong Russophilia, promote far-right extremist ideologies, and engage in hate speech.
In a recent development, the Left group in the European Parliament has issued a letter to the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) and Greens/EFA groups, urging an immediate joint initiative against the extremist ESN party and a thorough inquiry into its compliance with EU regulations.
This initiative follows communications from the Authority for European Political Parties and Foundations (APPF) to the President of the European Parliament, which raised concerns regarding the far-right party’s adherence to EU values.
The catalogue of extremist and anti-democratic actions associated with ESN-affiliated parties is considerable, including instances of blatant racism, hate speech, and financial irregularities. With the support of MEPs, the European Parliament has the authority to request that the APPF conduct a formal verification process to assess a European political party’s compliance with EU rules, as outlined under Rule 241(2) of the Parliament’s rules of procedure.
“Given the seriousness of the findings communicated by the Authority, The Left Group believes that Parliament should make full use of the powers granted to it under the Regulation and formally request such a verification. Following our discussion during the last plenary session, we believe that this would be an important opportunity to act together as progressive forces and launch a joint initiative on this matter,” reads the letter signed by Co-Presidents of The Left Manon Aubry and Martin Schirdewan.
