Political groups meet in Brussels, work begins on composition of new Parliament

Brussels – Three days after the vote and a month to go before the inaugural plenary session of the EU Parliament, contacts between national delegations and political families to outline the composition of the new European Parliament are kicking off. The 52 newly elected MEPs—who are not yet part of any group in Brussels—are to be placed, and possible compatibilities with the parties united in the Non-attached must be re-evaluated. The stakes are high: any significant movements could affect the race for the top jobs in the  European institutions.

The morning meeting today, June 12, of the European People’s Party was also attended by Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola, who, after the election results, have a clear path to reappointment as head of the European Commission and of the EU Parliament. Delegations from the European Left also met in the morning: reportedly, a representation of the Sinistra Italiana, which aims to include its three elected members—Ilaria Salis, Mimmo Lucano and one among Leoluca Orlando, Benedetta Scuderi and Cristina Guarda—in the ranks of the European group, was also present.

As confirmed by the co-president of the EU Left, the French of La France Insoumise, Manon Aubry, the group “is happy with the result obtained in Italy,” and, although not yet formal, the entry of the three from Sinistra Italiana seems to be in the bag. Aubry and Martin Schirdewan, the other group leader, have instead denied any contact with the 5-Star Movement nor with the red-brown German Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht party, which will bring 6 MEPs to Brussels.

No ongoing negotiations with the 5 Stars  by the Greens, who have been flirting with the party led by Giuseppe Conte for a good part of the closing legislature. This was confirmed in a press point by the leaders of the European ecologists, Bas Eickhout and Terry Reintke. Also present at the group meeting was Ignazio Marino, newly elected with Avs. For the Italian Greens, as for everyone, the EU group outlined the red lines for possible entry: “pro-European, pro-democratic, and pro-Ukraine” forces are welcome. The Greens, the real losers along with the liberals in this election, said they were ready to negotiate to support a pro-European majority led by the EPP and von der Leyen at the European Commission, but “if ECR sits at the table, we will stand up.”

Conversely, the far-right group led by Giorgia Meloni has already announced the addition of four new members, bringing the group’s total to 77 members., thus undermining the third largest group in the EU Parliament, the Renew Liberals, at 79.

Barricaded in a hotel in the European quarter, the leaders of the group of European sovereignists, united in Identity and Democracy, also met: Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini, the president of the Flemish populists Vlaam Belang, Gerolf Annemans, Chega leader André Ventura, and Dutchman Geert Wilders. In a bilateral between Salvini and Le Pen, the two reportedly struck a pact “to unite all centre-right forces,” reads a note shared by the Lega. “No openness to leftists and eco-fans and a determination to change this Europe” are the two populist leaders’ mainstays.

The situation is more fluid than ever.

At the centre of ID’s meeting is the AfD crux: the German far-right party was expelled from the group after its leader’s Nazi remarks, but now—after torpedoing the culprit—it is asking to be reinstated. But the morsel is tempting: with its 15 MEPs, AfD would give a major boost to the sovereignist group, which would grow from 58 to 73 MEPs.