Czech far-right parties to push for Green Deal reversal after EU elections

11 months ago 33

Two Czech far-right parties confirmed a joint candidate list for the 2024 EU elections, with the reversal of the European Green Deal being among the top priorities, the parties announced on Saturday.

Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy party (ID) will run together with Trikolora, a party created by former members of Civic Democrats (ODS, ECR). Former Czech MEP Petr Mach will be the leader of the candidacy list, the parties announced.

“We will try to reverse the whole Green Deal, and we will do it in cooperation. All of us in the Freedom and Direct Democracy party will continue to work together in the group in which we cooperate in the European Parliament today,” Mach said while presenting priorities for the elections on Saturday.

Trikolora is not affiliated with any European party, as it was established in 2019 and has no MEP. However, the Freedom and Direct Democracy party is a member of the Identity and Democracy (ID).

“I believe that this group (ID) will be significantly strengthened and will increase our chances of promoting these ideas of ours,” Mach added.

European far-right political forces reached a record high just a few months before the EU elections. According to a new projection on EU Parliament’s seats by Europe Elects, If EU elections were to be held today, the ID group would win 87 out of 705 seats. Currently, the far-right group has 60 seats.

ID consists of parties such as the French nationalist Rassemblement National (RN) of Marine Le Pen, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and Matteo Salvini’s Lega in Italy.

The two Czech far-right parties want to gain more than three seats in the 2024 elections. Their joint candidacy list also includes current ID MEP Ivan David and leader of Trikolora Zuzana Majerová.

(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)