The European Parliament has initiated a formal verification procedure against the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) party, the European political alliance that includes Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) and several other far-right parties from across the continent. The decision, taken on Tuesday, tasks the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF) with investigating whether ESN's activities and declarations align with the fundamental values of the European Union.
The vote passed with 414 in favor, 224 against, and 18 abstentions. While the ballot was secret, parliamentary sources indicate that the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group and the far-right Patriots for Europe group opposed the measure, while all other political groups supported it. If the APPF finds ESN in breach of EU values, the party could be stripped of its legal status as a European political party and lose access to EU funding.
Socialist MEP Alessandro Zan, who represents Italy, stated after the vote: "No EU taxpayer money for those who trample on the fundamental values upon which the Union was founded." The European People's Party, the largest group in Parliament, issued a press statement highlighting specific behaviors and statements by ESN members that they consider incompatible with EU principles. These include accusations that some AfD representatives have expressed Nazi sympathies, and that Thierry Baudet of the Dutch Forum for Democracy has called for mass "remigration" to preserve a "white" Europe.
Evidence of Values Violations
The APPF had already compiled a dossier of evidence for a previous report, which includes instances such as racist banners displayed by Czechia's SPD party, an attempt by Bulgaria's Revival party to block a film featuring homosexual scenes, and a German court ruling that found AfD's policy program to be "contrary to human dignity and freedom of religion." This dossier forms the basis for the current investigation.
ESN criticized the parliamentary vote in a press release, arguing that its members "must remain free to speak openly about the concerns of the people they represent, without the threat of administrative procedures or financial sanctions, simply because their views challenge the political consensus." The party was founded in August 2024 by eight far-right European parties, led by AfD and including Poland's Confederation and France's Reconquête. The most recent addition is Italy's National Future party, led by former General Roberto Vannacci, who was previously a member of The League.
It is important to note that ESN is a separate legal entity from the ESN political group in the European Parliament, which consists of the same political forces and currently has 27 MEPs. The verification procedure does not directly affect the parliamentary group's operations but targets the party's funding and official recognition.
This move comes amid broader debates in Germany about the AfD's influence and the country's asylum policies. For instance, Germany is currently debating whether to revoke temporary protection for military-age Ukrainian men, a policy that has drawn both support and criticism from various political factions. Meanwhile, the AfD itself has faced significant public opposition, as seen when 20,000 protesters gathered in Erfurt to demonstrate against the party's conference earlier this year.
The European Parliament's action underscores the ongoing tension between upholding EU values and allowing political pluralism, particularly as far-right parties gain traction in several member states. The APPF's investigation will now proceed, with a final decision expected in the coming months.
