Europe of Nations and Freedom

Europe of Nations and Freedom
European parliamentary group
English abbr. ENF
French abbr. ENL
Ideology Far-right politics[1][2][3][4][5]
Nationalism[6]
Euroscepticism[5]
Right-wing populism[7]
Anti-immigration[5]
European parties Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom and European Alliance for Freedom
From 15 June 2015
Chaired by France Marine Le Pen
Netherlands Marcel de Graaff
MEP(s)
39 / 751
Website www.menleuropa.eu

Europe of Nations and Freedom (French: Europe des nations et des libertés, ENL) is a political group in the European Parliament launched on 15 June 2015. With 39 members, the group is the smallest in the European Parliament. The largest party of the group by number of MEPs is the National Front representing more than half of ENL's MEPs with 20 MEPs out of 39.

The ENF is the parlimamentary group of the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom although PVV's MEPs are members of the European Alliance for Freedom and other MEPs are without any European affiliations.

History

Following the 2014 European elections on 22–25 May 2014, the European Alliance for Freedom (EAF), comprising right-wing and far-right parties from across Europe, aimed to form a stable parliamentary group in the European Parliament prior to the start of the 8th term. A previous attempt to form a far-right group in the European parliament during the 6th term was the short-lived Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty (ITS) group in 2007.[8]

On 28 May 2014, it was announced at a press conference in Brussels that the alliance led by Marine Le Pen of the French National Front (FN) and Geert Wilders of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), including Lega Nord leader Matteo Salvini, were in negotiations to form a parliamentary group.[9] On 24 June 2014, it was announced that the Le Pen/Wilders alliance had failed to gather the requisite 25 MEPs from 7 EU member nations, thus starting the parliamentary term as Non-Inscrits members.[10][11] Later in 2014, the EAF was succeeded by the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENL), without the participation of the PVV.[12]

EU states with more than one ENF MEP (dark blue), one ENF MEP (blue), or no ENF MEPs (dark grey) in the 8th European Parliament.

On 15 June 2015, Marine Le Pen announced that a new group in the European Parliament would be launched the following day, set to comprise MEPs from the FN, PVV, Lega Nord, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), Flemish Interest (VB),[3][13][14] the Polish Congress of the New Right (KNP) and former UK Independence Party member Janice Atkinson.[15] Together with the availability of the excluded UKIP MEP, the creation of the group with representation from 7 different member states was made possible by the recent side-lining of two historical but controversial figures of the far-right: Jean-Marie Le Pen was suspended by his own National Front, while Janusz Korwin-Mikke's departure from the KNP allowed Marine Le Pen and Wilders to accept the two remaining members of the party in their group, something they had rejected during the discussions held in June 2014.[16][17] Among the FN delegation, Bruno Gollnisch chose not to join in solidarity with former president Jean-Marie Le Pen, while Aymeric Chauprade, on a trip to Fiji,[16] joined a few days later.[18] One of the four seats won by the PVV was vacant at the time of the group's creation until 8 September 2015, when Auke Zijlstra replaced Hans Jansen, who had died on 5 May 2015.[19]

In July 2015, the European Parliament decided the group would earn €3 million per year from EU funds.[20] By adding up all the grants for the group as well as for the linked political party and think thank, the funds will amount to €17.5 million for the next 4 years of their mandate.[21]

On 15 July 2015, Romanian MEP Laurențiu Rebega left both the Conservative Party and the S&D group to join the ENF.[22] On 9 November 2015 Aymeric Chauprade left the group.[23]

Reviewing votes in the EU Parliament on resolutions critical of Russia or measures not in the Kremlin's interests (e.g., the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement), Hungary's Political Capital Institute found that future members of the ENF voted "no" in 93% of cases.[24]

The first convention of the ENL took place on 28 & 29 January 2016 in Milan with all the leaders of ENL's member parties along with Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) leader Tomio Okamura, whose party is not a member of the ENL as it has no MEPs. During this convention, each leader made a speech followed by a press conference the next day.[25]

During the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party convention on 30 April 2016, it was announced that Marcus Pretzell MEP would join the ENL group.[26] The AfD's other MEP Beatrix von Storch joined the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group in March 2016, both MEPs having been expelled from the ECR group.[27]

Membership

The ENF group has 39 members from nine different countries.[28][29]

Country # National Party MEP EU party
Austria 4 Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)
Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs		 Obermayr, FranzFranz Obermayr EAF[30]
Mayer, GeorgGeorg Mayer
VilimskyHarald Vilimsky MENL[31]
KappelBarbara Kappel
Belgium 1 Flemish Interest (VB)
Vlaams Belang		 Annemans, GerolfGerolf Annemans
France 20 National Front (FN)
Front National		 Aliot, LouisLouis Aliot
Arnautu, Marie-ChristineMarie-Christine Arnautu
Bay, NicolasNicolas Bay
BildeDominique Bilde
BoutonnetMarie-Christine Boutonnet
BrioisSteeve Briois
d'OrnanoMireille d'Ornano
Ferrand, ÉdouardÉdouard Ferrand
GoddynSylvie Goddyn
JalkhJean-François Jalkh
LebretonGilles Lebreton
Le Pen, MarineMarine Le Pen
Loiseau, PhilippePhilippe Loiseau
(Had replaced Jeanne Pothain, who resigned before sitting)[32][33]
Martin, DominiqueDominique Martin
MelinJoëlle Mélin
MonotBernard Monot
Montel, SophieSophie Montel
Philippot, FlorianFlorian Philippot
SchaffauserJean-Luc Schaffhauser
TroszczynskiMylène Troszczynski
Germany 1 Alternative for Germany (AfD)
Alternative für Deutschland		 PretzellMarcus Pretzell
(Joined the group on 1 May 2016)		 None
Italy 5 Northern League (LN)
Lega Nord		 Bizzotto, MaraMara Bizzotto MENL[34]
Borghezio, MarioMario Borghezio
BuonannoGianluca Buonanno
Fontana, LorenzoLorenzo Fontana
(Had replaced on 11 July 2014 Flavio Tosi, who resigned to remain mayor of Verona)[35]
Salvini, MatteoMatteo Salvini
Netherlands 4 Party for Freedom (PVV)
Partij voor de Vrijheid		 de Graaff, MarcelMarcel de Graaff None
MaeijerVicky Maeijer
Stuger, OlafOlaf Stuger
Zijlstra, AukeAuke Zijlstra
(Joined the group on 8 September 2015, replacing Hans Jansen, who died on 5 May 2015)[36]
Poland 2 Congress of the New Right (KNP)
Kongres Nowej Prawicy		 MarusikMichał Marusik EAF[30]
ZoltekStanisław Żółtek None
Romania 1 Independent (elected as Conservative)[37] RebegaLaurențiu Rebega
(Joined the group on 15 July 2015)
United Kingdom 1 Independent (elected as UKIP)[38] Atkinson, JaniceJanice Atkinson

Former members

Member state Party MEPs From To Moved to
France Former National Front

Now The Free French[39]

 Aymeric Chauprade 24 June 2015[18] 9 November 2015[23] Non-Inscrits

Leadership

References

  1. ↑ "France's Le Pen announces far-right bloc of anti-EU MEPs". BBC News. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
  2. ↑ Samuel, Henry; Holehouse, Matthew (16 June 2015). "Marine Le Pen forms far-Right group in European Parliament". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2015-07-08.
  3. 1 2 Rettman, Andrew (15 June 2015). "Far-right parties form group in EU parliament". EU Observer. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
  4. ↑ "Far right MEPs form EU parliamentary group | The Parliament Magazine". Theparliamentmagazine.eu. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  5. 1 2 3 "Expelled UKIP MEP 'agrees to join' eurosceptic group". Daily Mail (London). 16 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Le Pen finds common cause with Europe's nationalists". BBC News. 16 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Tobias Gerhard Schminke. "Instabile Rechtsfraktion im EU-Parlament – Treffpunkt Europa | europäisch, politisch, kritisch". Treffpunkteuropa.de. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  8. ↑ Janet Laible (2008). Separatism and Sovereignty in the New Europe. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-230-61700-1.
  9. ↑ "Le Pen party steals Farage's Italian allies". The Times. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  10. ↑ "Marine Le Pen fails to form far-right bloc in European parliament | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  11. ↑ "Le Pen's Far-Right EU Parliament Alliance Fails at Start". Ibtimes.co.uk. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  12. ↑ Cas Mudde. "The EAF is dead! Long live the MENL!". openDemocracy. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "France's National Front says forms group in European Parliament – Yahoo News UK". Uk.news.yahoo.com. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  14. ↑ Payne, Sebastian. "France's far right forms bloc in European Parliament – POLITICO". Politico.eu. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  15. ↑ Rowena Mason. "Ex-Ukip Janice Atkinson joins Le Pen-led EU group | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  16. 1 2 Olivier Faye; Jean-Baptiste Chastand (16 June 2015). "Marine Le Pen annonce la création d'un groupe au Parlement européen". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  17. ↑ "Parlement européen : le FN forme un groupe sans Jean-Marie Le Pen et Bruno Gollnisch". France Info (in French). 16 June 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  18. 1 2 "Aymeric Chauprade rejoint le groupe de Marine Le Pen". L'Opinion. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "PVV'er Hans Jansen wist dat hij voor niets in het Europees Parlement zat". tpo.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2015-06-17.
  20. ↑ Payne, Sebastian (16 June 2015). "Le Pen's €3 million pot – POLITICO". Politico.eu. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  21. ↑ James Crisp (16 June 2015). "Le Pen's new EU Parliament group to scoop €17.5 million of public money". EurActiv. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  22. ↑ "Eurodeputatul Laurenţiu Rebega pleacă de la socialişti la grupul extremiştilor Marine Le Pen şi Gianluca Buonnano. Partidul lui Tăriceanu nu se alege cu niciun reprezentant la Bruxelles". europeanul.org (in Tongan). Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  23. 1 2 "MEP quits Front National accusing Marine Le Pen of treason". RFI. 10 November 2015.
  24. ↑ Krekó, Péter; Macaulay, Marie; Molnár, Csaba; Győri, Lóránt (3 August 2015). "Europe's New Pro-Putin Coalition: the Parties of ‘No’". Political Capital Institute (Hungary). Institute of Modern Russia.
  25. ↑ http://www.pantagraph.com/news/world/europe/european-far-right-nationalist-parties-meet-in-milan/article_1e6eba24-5a63-5183-b899-ad76ba8db0af.html
  26. ↑ http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2016-04/pretzell-wechsel-fraktion-eu-parlament-front-national
  27. ↑ http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/german-afd-lawmaker-to-align-with-faction-of-frances-national-front_453117.html
  28. ↑ "Nieuw rechts blok EU: 'Wij zijn de stem van het verzet'". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 16 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  29. ↑ "Le Pen informs about the new member". Twitter (in French). 15 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  30. 1 2 "Aftermath of the elections, a future for the EU or a future for Europe?". EAF. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  31. ↑ "National delegations". MENL. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  32. ↑ "Minutes of the sitting of Thursday 3 July 2014". European Parliament. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  33. ↑ "L'Orléanaise Jeanne Pothain (FN) démissionne de son mandat de députée européenne" [Orleans' Jeanne Pothain (FN) resigns her MEP seat]. La République du Centre (in French). 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  34. ↑ "National delegations". MENL. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  35. ↑ "La grande vittoria (politica) di Tosi".
  36. ↑ "Benoeming A.J. Zijlstra tot lid van het Europees Parlement".
  37. ↑ "Diaconu denies link between PRU and European nationalists by criminal charges of Rebega". Replica (in Romanian). 17 July 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  38. ↑ Lizzie Dearden (19 March 2015). "Ukip MEP Janice Atkinson suspended and axed as election candidate over 'financial allegations'". The Independent. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  39. ↑ "13/01/2016 – Naissance du mouvement "Les Français libres"". Youtube (in French). 13 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.

External links

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