Europe of Sovereign Nations now confronts a procedure that might result in it losing its status as a European political party, along with the associated funding. Far-right MEPs from other factions opposed this motion.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament initiated an investigative process targeting the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) party, which includes Alternative for Germany (AfD) and several other far-right parties across Europe.
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The resolution mandates the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF) to examine whether ESN adheres to EU principles. Should the findings be unfavorable, the party risks losing its official status and funding.
The decision passed with 414 votes supporting it, 224 opposing, and 18 abstentions.
The ballot was conducted secretly; however, according to sources within the Parliament, both the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists and the far-right Patriots for Europe voted against the motion, whereas all other groups voted in favor.
“No EU taxpayer funds should support those who disregard the fundamental values on which the Union is built,» Socialist MEP Alessandro Zan stated following the vote.
MEPs from the European People’s Party issued a press statement highlighting conduct and declarations by ESN members deemed incompatible with EU values.
For instance, some representatives of Alternative for Germany face accusations of exhibiting Nazi sympathies, while Thierry Baudet from the Dutch Forum for Democracy advocates for large-scale «remigration» to maintain a «white» Europe.
A compilation of evidence indicating contradictions with EU values was assembled for an earlier APPF report. This included racist banners displayed by Czechia’s SPD, Bulgaria’s Revival blocking the broadcast of a film featuring homosexual scenes, and a German court ruling that deems AfD’s policies “incompatible with human dignity and freedom of religion.”
ESN rejected the vote’s outcome, stating in a press release that its members «must be allowed to express openly the concerns of those they represent, without facing administrative procedures or financial penalties, merely because their views challenge the political consensus.”
Established in August 2024 by eight far-right European parties—headed by AfD and including Poland’s Confederation and France’s Reconquête—ESN recently welcomed the Italian National Future party, led by former General Roberto Vannacci, previously with The League.
The party operates as a distinct legal entity separate from the ESN political group in the European Parliament, which is made up of the same political forces and currently includes 27 MEPs.
While political groups are parliamentary factions, parties are EU-level alliances of national parties financed through the EU budget. If ESN loses its European party status, neither the parliamentary group nor the individual MEPs will face repercussions.