MEPs create biggest far-right group in European parliament

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

MEPs create biggest far-right group in European parliament

ID’s influence doubtful, however, after falling short in aim to become third-biggest bloc

Jennifer Rankin in Brussels
Thu 13 Jun 2019 14.49 BST Last modified on Thu 13 Jun 2019 18.25 BST

Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini’s MEPs have joined forces with anti-immigration parties across Europe to create the biggest far-right group in the European parliament.

Despite promises to become “a thorn in the flesh of the establishment”, the group of 73 MEPs falls short of Salvini’s ambition of upending the system of EU lawmaking by becoming the third-largest group in the parliament.

Known as Identity and Democracy (ID), the group will instead be the fifth largest, and its influence over EU lawmaking looks doubtful. While the far right now has 10% of MEPs in the new European parliament, compared with 5% in the 2014-19 session, other parties are not expected to vote far-right MEPs into influential positions.

Identity and Democracy will be led by Marco Zanni, an MEP from Italy’s League party, which enjoyed stunning success in the European elections in Italy. The League is led by Salvini, who is also Italy’s deputy prime minister and the interior minister.

The ID group failed to convince Nigel Farage and his Brexit party to join.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/13/meps-create-biggest-far-right-group-in-european-parliament

[bobbieinok]

1. Farage didn't join because it would show his views too blatantly?

Or maybe because they didn't crown him leader?

[sandensea]

2. ID

Europeans, who are generally familiar with Freud, will get a good laugh out of that one.