AfD's Positioning in the EP

In May 2024, the Afd was kicked out of the parliament group “Identity and Democracy” because the German populist party became too radical even for the European far-right grouping. Now, the AfD has founded its own parliament group.

Source: https://table.media/berlin/news/umgang-mit-der-afd-wie-die-cdu-gegen-die-rechtsradikale-partei-kaempfen-will/

On July 10th, the AfD successfully founded its own parliamentary group, called “Europe of Sovereign Nations,” thus competing as the second far-right group in the EP. AfD politicians dominate it, but it also assembles extreme-right MEPs from Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and France. Where precisely the ideological distinction to the “Patriots of Europe” (former “Identity and Democracy”) lies is unclear. It is expected to be even more extreme, though.

The new group might spice up the debates in the EP. With its members, “Europe of Sovereign Nations” has an evident bias towards Eastern Europe, suggesting interesting positions regarding the ongoing war at the Eastern borders of the EU. Whether the new group will take over as the latest powerful right, whether it cannot compete with the established “Patriots of Europe” group uniting Le Pen and Orbán, or if the new group opens a new competition on the far right of the political scale is up for debate. However, it is pretty evident that excluding a radical, potentially unconstitutional party from a European parliamentary group cannot hinder the party’s relevance and influence in the EP.