Parliament’s Patriots slam MEPs prevention of far-right vice presidencies

On Tuesday (16 June), the members of the European Parliament elected the institution’s vice-presidents, isolating the far-right political families from vice-president positions to secure the current state of the cordon sanitaire.

Tuesday evening, newly elected members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted for the 14 vice presidents of President Roberta Metsola in a secret ballot.

Members from all parties—except the far-right Patriots and the Sovereignists—were elected in the vote.

The results of the votes were expected to show if far-right picks could get the support from the majority of the Parliament’s members, henceforth showing a willingness to work together and break the cordon sanitaire.

The cordon sanitaire is an informal agreement between the centrist political forces not to collaborate with the far right. The definition of “far right” depends on each group’s appreciation: the centre-right EPP has left the door open to working with the Conservatives of ECR, but not Patriots or Sovereignists. Meanwhile, the Greens and Socialists refuse to deal with either of the three.

Far-right political families eyed some of Parliament’s ranking positions to show off their gains after June’s European elections and the reshuffle of right-wing parties, which allowed the brand-new anti-migration Patriots for Europe political group to take third place.

It comes third in numerical size after the centre-right EPP and the Socialists and before the Liberals.

Nevertheless, like in 2019, the far-right was blocked from accessing high-level positions. Out of the 14 positions, six went to the Socialist, three to the centre-right, two to the Conservatives, one to the Liberal Renew, the Greens and the Left, respectively.

Kinga Gal, the first vice president of the Patriots, slammed the decision on X: “Shame on this European Parliament, especially the EPP Group, who once again ignored the will of millions of European voters who voted for change.”

“Instead of respecting democracy and parliamentary customs by electing a vice-president the Patriots for Europe group nominated, they enabled a far-left, communist politician to have the position,” the vice-president of Fidesz added about the Left candidate.

Only Conservatives keep their post

The Conservatives of ECR, sitting to the right of the center-right EPP, held one vice-presidency in the last term, and sent two candidates this time around.

The newly formed Patriots, led by Fidesz, Rassemblement National, and Czechia’s ANO, entered the race with two names, and the far-right German AfD-led Sovereignist presented one.

Out of all those parties, both Conservative ECR candidates passed the bar: Antonella Sberna from Fratelli D’Italia, the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the figurehead of the Conservatives, and the Latvian Roberts Zīle.

The EPP’s lead candidate for European Commission president, incumbent Ursula von der Leyen, had left the door open to a rapprochement with the Conservatives to secure the much-needed votes for her confirmation on Thursday (18 June).

But more left-wing parties, such as the Socialists and Greens criticised the move, saying they would not support joining a coalition with the Conservatives.

Among the Patriots, Fabrice Leggeri, the French former head of the border guard Frontex agency and now a member of the Patriots under the banner of the Rassemblement National, did not make the cut, with 177 votes in his favour. Neither did the Patriot member of Czech Babis’ ANO Klára Dostálová, receiving only 116 votes.

The Sovereignists’ candidate, Ewa Zajaczkowska-Hernik from the Polish Konferderacia, also stayed on the bench, gathering 46 votes in favour.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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