The far-right group Identity and Democracy, to which Le Pen’s party belongs in the European Parliament, however, occupies fifth place in relation to the rest of the political families. The European People’s Party (EPP) is the one with the most seats.
With 30 seats, National Group from now on it has the largest delegation in the new European Parliamentcounting all parties and all nationalities.
But, in the global calculation, the extreme right group Identity and Democracy remained quinto in the european elections. The conservatives of the European People’s Party (EPP) continue to be the most numerous.
Jean-Paul Garraud, president of the National Rally delegation in the European Parliament, spoke to ‘Euronews’ for the Radio Schuman podcast. “We are a large group that symbolizes a rise of sovereignty everywhere, to different degrees, in Europe,” says Jean-Paul Garraud. In his opinion, European voters have understood that what was at stake in the European elections “affects them every day” in areas such as”immigration.” and “energy.”
Identity and Democracy tries to expand its support
The far-right group Identity and Democracy already moves chips to negotiate with other groups in an attempt to expand their support. Specific, Marine Le Pen extended her hand to Giorgia Meloni to build a “supergroup” in the European Parliament. In addition, Le Pen herself, the Italian Matteo Salvini and other leaders of extreme right parties Europeans They met in Brussels to take stock of the situation.
“I have also established excellent contacts with other groups,” such as the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), stated the president of the National Group delegation in the European Parliament. Jean-Paul Garraud mentioned, in this sense, the strengthening of ties with the Spanish of Vox and the Polish party Law and Justice (PiS), which belong to ECR.
Although the reintegration of the German party Alternative for Germany (AfD), excluded from the Identity and Democracy group in May, is not on the agenda ahead of the French legislative elections, according to Jean-Paul Garraud. “I was president of the delegation of the group that decided to exclude the AFD. So there we are and there we stay,” he says.
Garraud celebrates that his group will now have more weight to influence the European agenda and, in fact, Identity and Democracy does not rule out presenting a candidate for the presidency of the European Commission.
