The move highlights a disconnect between political boundaries in Brussels and the complex national situations, where the rise of the far right is complicating governance for mainstream parties. In Brussels, Socialists were unaware of Romania’s plans, according to two officials granted anonymity. Iratxe García, chair of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), expects Romanian counterparts to collaborate with pro-European forces.
The 2024 EU election resulted in the bloc’s most right-leaning Parliament. The far-right Patriots group, including France’s Marine Le Pen and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, ranks third, followed by the European Conservatives and Reformists, featuring France’s Giorgia Meloni, Poland’s Law and Justice, and the AUR.
Populist right-wing parties are gaining traction as voters respond to economic and migration pressures. Mainstream conservatives increasingly collaborate with them in countries like the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Croatia, and Austria, angering center-left parties accusing the EPP of normalizing the far right during the 2024 EU election campaign.
ECR group co-chair in the European Parliament, Patryk Jaki, stated to POLITICO that his political forces can no longer be dismissed.
This rising influence poses challenges for Europe’s Socialists as some members start forming right-leaning deals. In 2025, Lithuania’s Social Democrats formed a coalition with Dawn of Nemunas, reportedly planning to join the Brussels-based Patriots group.
Leave a Reply