Far-right MEPs struggle to form political group

Negotiations hit problems after Italian separatists express reluctance to join new formation

Attempts by far-right parties in the European Parliament to form a new political group have run into difficulties, according to Parliament sources. French Front National MEP Bruno Gollnisch has been holding talks with other nationalist parties including the Belgian Vlaams Belang to form a new group.

Under Parliament rules, a political group needs at least 19 members from five member states. Efforts to set up a group have been bolstered by the arrival, with effect from 1 January, of five MEPs from a nationalist Romanian party Partidul România Mare and one Bulgarian far-right MEP.

But negotiations have run into problems after MEPs from the Italian separatist Lega Nord party expressed reluctance about joining the new formation, according to Parliament sources.

With the seven MEPs from the Front National, three from Vlaams Belang, six from Romania and Bulgaria and the four Lega Nord MEPs, the new group which might be called "Transparency and Democracy" would have the necessary 19 members from five member states. Gollnisch has also been talking to UK MEP Ashley Mote, who was elected on the ticket of the UK Independence Party but was thrown out of the party shortly after the beginning of the Parliamentary term when it emerged that he was facing legal proceedings for allegations of housing benefit fraud.

Other possible recruits include three MEPs from the League of Polish Families, two Italian far-right MEPs, Austrian FPÖ MEP Andreas Mölzer plus one Czech deputy.

But there are also problems agreeing a common programme without which the group, even if it can get the necessary numbers and mix of nationalities, risks being ruled illegal by the European Court of Justice. This happened in 2001 to the so-called Technical Group of Independent Members, made up of Front National, Vlaams Blok (as Vlaams Belang was then called), Lega Nord and also members of the Italian Radicale party including Emma Bonino, now Italian minister for Europe.

Frank Vanhecke, chairman of the Vlaams Belang, which claims to represent the interests of Belgium’s Flemish community, admitted that it would be difficult to form a group because of the different agenda of the various parties. "Nobody is extremely keen because all parties have their ideas and priorities," he told European Voice.

He said that the strongest binding force was the desire of non-attached MEPs (ie, those not currently part of political groups) to avoid being treated as "second-rate MEPs" by the Parliament’s administration.

Vanhecke pointed out that non-attached MEPs did not have the right to propose amendments in plenary sessions or request urgent debates on pressing issues. "You can only vote. You’re not a proper politician," he said

He played down suggestions that the move was driven by a desire to secure funding from the Parliament for a group. "We are not a poor party," he said. Vanhecke also said the move was not motivated by a desire to win posts within the Parliament such as the chairmanship of committees because this would be blocked by other MEPs on the committees.

Vanhecke said that some of the parties in discussions would meet again in November to see how discussions were progressing.

Negotiations hit problems after Italian separatists express reluctance to join new formation