The Identity and Democracy Group no longer has the strength to constitute itself in the European Parliament, since its members have been absorbed by the European Conservatives and Reformists or by the new Patriots for Europe group.
These are crucial days for the extreme right in the European Parliament. Behind the official formation of the group of European Conservatives and Reformiststo which the Brothers of Italy party belongs, other political formations with similar ideology are choosing sides.
The growth of the Conservatives
The conservatives now have 84 MEPsand are by far the third largest group of the European Chamber. Thus, they aspire to have a notable influence on the European policies of the next legislature, as explained by their co-presidentNicola Procacciniwho has just been re-elected, along with the Polish Joachim Brudziński.
“The political weight has shifted noticeably to the right, and this will make the role of European conservatives more especially strategicbecause it is barycentric within the center-right political reality, so, ultimately, this expansion will give us the opportunity to be especially influential,” says Procaccini.
Meanwhile, the group Patriots for Europe works behind the scenes. The alliance of nationalist parties founded by the hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, together with Czech and Austrian sovereignists, needs new members to form a political group. Among the candidates are political forces that are currently part of another group, Identity and Democracysuch as The League and National Group.
The end of Identity and Democracy and the strategies of Le Pen and Salvini
The departure of MEPs Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen would be definitive for the dissolution of the Identity and Democracy group, which no longer has the minimum numbers to form, that is, 23 MEPs from at least seven Member States. After the departure of the six MEPs from the Freedom Partyfrom Austria, who left to found the group Patriots for Europe, the only Estonian MEP in the group also left the ID group, going to the European Conservatives and Reformists.
Both Portuguese deputies from Chegaalso destined for the new group Patriots for Europe, they will leave soon. Smaller delegations from both ID and the Non-Registrant group may soon follow.
“Some of these parties have a very pragmatic approach. They need a group to have a voice in the European Parliament, run committees and receive money,” he explains to Euronews. Francesco Nicoli, analyst at the Bruegel think tank. “So, they may reach a compromise in the end. I think they are more likely to join Orbán’s new party than the ECR group“.
According to Nicoli, The League has to make a difference with the Brothers of Italy for reasons of internal politics, and that is why it cannot end up in its own group in the European Parliament. Therefore, the natural landing placeand perhaps the only one, for Salvini’s party is Orbán’s Patriots for Europe group.
Marine Le Pen, for her part, could follow a particular political trajectory, which would bring her closer to the group of European Conservatives and Reformistswith the purpose of seem more moderate ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
The day of truthHowever, it will be on Monday, July 8, when both Patriots for Europe and Identity and Democracy have their constitutive meeting scheduled.
