European Parliament Elections 2024 - Friday, June 7th

He'll join FF within the year.

I doubt Labour would want McNamara if he did want to go back though.

I suspect it's a flag of convenience for everybody involved in it, to be honest.

He should have said that from the outset though not after the event. He deserves the criticism as does any politician who lies to get elected

(On Orbán/his visit to Putin etc…) Well Article 7 is there to use, EU Parliament voted on it, so it is with the other 26 member states to decide to pull the pin.

It has not happened, so therefore they (collectively) accept the inevitable consequences playing out as Hungary works to undermine them and the EU.

Orbán can (and will) push the envelope further every time he acts, because there have been no consequences at all.

They probably should stay quiet about it now, and leave comments on Orbán's behaviour to the EU institutions if they have any decency.

Thanks @rock22 for the updates. Was waiting until it was reported he had enough national parties to break the news.

Edit: - Sorry you have already reported that, thought we would have to wait till tomorrow for that news.

https://www.politico.eu/article/orbans-patriots-for-europe-gains-enough-support-to-be-european-parliament-group/

It will probably mean: - "it would it would leave ID without enough members to survive" ~ Source

With 84 MEPs, the Patriots have surpassed both the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which has 78 MEPs, and the liberal Renew Europe, with 76 MEPs, achieving Orbán’s initial goal of becoming the third force in the European Parliament. ~ https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/07/08/far-right-patriots-group-springs-to-third-force-in-european-parliament

They have yet to update this chart!? https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/

Did ECR lose some MEP's to this group?

Renew don't seem to like been surpassed by this group?

Missing from the chart helpfully posted by corkie is the Identity and Democracy Group, which appears to be disintegrating. There has been no announcement about this yet, but most of the recent accretions to Patriots for Putin were in the I&D group in the last parliament, so I think the latter group is probably defunct.

So, effectively, PfE is looking a lot like I&D rebadged, and with Fidesz added in.

The addition of Rassemblement Nationale to the group may be a mixed blessing for Fidesz. RN provides 30 of the group's 84 members; Fidesz comes a distant second with 10.

https://www.politico.eu/article/new-far-right-group-european-parliament-germany-afd/

Europe of Sovereign Nations

The alliance counts 25 MEPs among its ranks from eight countries.

The alliance, which counts 25 MEPs among its ranks, is led by Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Poland’s Confederation, and is also comprised of MEPs from Bulgaria’s Revival, France’s Reconquête, Slovakia’s Republic Movement, Hungary’s Our Home Movement, Lithuania’s People and Justice Union, and the Czech Republic’s Freedom and Direct Democracy.

Meanwhile backroom deals continue to try support Ursula von der Leyen as the next Commission president.

the biggest group in the Parliament — the conservative European People’s Party — struck an informal deal with the ECR under which they will swap control of two of the committees allocated to them in the broader package.

“Renew is outraged to see EPP preferring making dirty deals instead of sticking to our common lines,” a Renew official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

The official said the group could even withdraw its support for the EPP’s Ursula von der Leyen as the next Commission president, and for Roberta Metsola as European Parliament president, due to the deal. ~ Source

Sean Kelly tweeting again urging Irish MEP's to back her.

Notice Renew increased members by another one, now at 77 compared to screenshot taken earlier in thread. I assumed the two Irish MEP's where already counted for, so who and where did the new member come from?

People following the news probably already aware that: -

STRASBOURG — Roberta Metsola has been reelected as president of the European Parliament. ~ Link

FF MEPs are still saying they won't support Ursula von der Leyen for president of commision.

Secret Ballot!

• Bad ~ because we won't know if they keep their word!
• Good ~ People part of EPP can vote against her if they wish.

On e-voting: -

Edit: -

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/07/16/two-far-right-groups-cordoned-off-from-power-roles-in-the-european-parliament

A Patriots spokesperson slated the so-called cordon sanitaire designed to keep the far-right in check as “undemocratic” and an insult to “millions of European citizens that have the right to be heard.”

I thought it was only Ireland who had politicians claiming they "won" the election without a majority.

The only real alternative ever suggested if there were problems with VdL getting 361 votes was a 76 year old Mario Draghi. Only other names I saw were the Croatian and Greek PMs, which would've been more of the same I imagine.

With the Greens being responsible for the vote passing (politico saying that only around 9 of their 53 MEPs were against) you'd have to imagine she'll be walking a tightrope to please both her own increasingly pro-farmer EPP and the shrinking environmentally focused contingent.