EPP does not rule out voting with far-right parties in the European Parliament — Politico Europe
In Brussels, Belgium, Mika Aaltola, head of the Finnish delegation of the European People's Party, said that the EPP does not rule out voting with right-wing and far-right forces in the European Parliament to advance its political agenda. Politico Europe reports.
At the Brussels Playbook Live event, Aaltola said that the EPP had no reason to be ashamed of previous votes, as the party had managed to advance its own proposals. He also spoke against a political barrier for far-right forces, believing that such an approach alienates them.
Dispute over cooperation
According to Aaltola, far-right parties are relatively sensible on some issues and demonstrate madness on others. At the same time, he stressed that leading political forces would take part in most votes in the European Parliament.
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As the publication notes, following the 2024 European Parliament elections, the EPP repeatedly adopted legislative decisions with the support of right-wing and far-right groups. This primarily concerned migration and green policy, where differences between centrist factions are the greatest.
Calls for a centrist agreement
Social Democrats and liberals insist on binding arrangements between the three centrist forces so that the EPP does not seek support from the far right. René Repasi, head of the German delegation of the Social Democrats, said that centrists need to seek compromises and conclude an agreement with a binding governance structure.
Aaltola rejected the idea of an overly rigid coalition agreement, referring to the political diversity of the European Parliament. Renew Europe Vice-President Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy said that the unity of centrists is important for addressing issues concerning Ukraine, geopolitics, climate change and the cost of living. In his view, adopting parliamentary positions with the participation of the far right weakens the European Parliament's position in negotiations with EU member state governments.
