The EU thread

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Not EU but a European NATO position - Mark Rutte replaces Stoltenberg as the new Secretary-General of NATO.

Good luck to him!

Not until October.

Hopefully this mighty Dutchman leads us to victory like that great Dutch military leader...um...er...well I am sure they have had some.

He's just the political leader, as you know.

[Duque de Bragança]

Where do you see that line being drawn?

Is it "must support Europe vs Putin"? Is it "we believe we can influence or take over the European project, so if your defined by being anti-EU, you're out"? Something else?

I think she is guided by the EU's redlines - but I'm not sure. I'd always understood Marion Marechal as more radical than her aunt but she's in. Part may also be ego/dominance - the leadership of the ECR is Meloni/FDI and PiS, that would shift if you include Le Pen especially now that RN are the largest national party in the European Parliament (and also reportedly they don't like each other).

That may shift if Le Pen wins in 2027 - it seems that inevitably (if only from prestige of founder 6 members) an alliance of far-right leaders in the Netherlands, France and Italy changes things.

For who the EU can work with I think there's basically three criteria: won't blow up the Eurozone, won't get in the way of European support for Ukraine and won't try to leave/blow up the EU. I think if you don't cross those red lines then the EU will flex to include you (especially if you lead a big country - and, perhaps, especially if you're one of the founder members).

Marion Maréchal is both out of Reconquête, following her disagreement with Zemmour; and RN now, so she has a bit more of margin now. 

[Sheilbh]

Interesting Fidesz and the FPO with Ano (Czech party) setting up a third far right grouping in the European Parliament.

Arguably the basic split on the radical and far-right is anti-Russia ECR (Meloni, PiS, Baltic far-right etc), Putin-curious ID (Le Pen, Wilders etc) and out and out Russian entryists.

[Tamas]

Orban was rejected by everyone so created his own club. But as I understand they don't have enough yet for an official faction.

[Tamas]

It is rumoured that Orbans newly minted right-of-right faction might collapse Le Pen's as he is courting some of its members.

I reckon this is going to cost a lot of bribes paid from Hungarian revenues.

Maybe the reason he is visiting Kyiv is to give PIS the excuse to switch.

Also he is using the logo of Hungarys EU presidency to advertise his new faction. Just a despicable human, as always.

[celedhring]

Seems to me Le Pen is a winning horse atm? I personally wouldn't switch unless bribes are indeed involved.

[Sheilbh]

I doubt PiS would switch.

Lega are definitely very interested. I think it's interesting that the AfD have said they won't join as it opens up a lot of other parties - most of the Le Pen ID group for example. Also interesting that Smer wouldn't join despite the rumours.

I think in a way it's a bit of a humiliation for Orban. He has enough MEPs to form a group, but not from enough countries (up to four - and he needs seven). At the minute I think the group includes the fifth, seventh and eighth largest far-right parties in the parliament. And, for some reason, entirely based in Austro-Hungarian countries. Not a great position to lead from (I think one of the interesting dynamics will be Orban's position slipping as bigger countries acquire similar governments - particularly in the founding six states).

[Sheilbh]

France continues to love the drama/attention. Meanwhile in the Netherlands the new Health Minister is revealed to have had a Stormfront account

I feel this happened to half The Finns when they did well.

[Sheilbh]

Seems to me Le Pen is a winning horse atm? I personally wouldn't switch unless bribes are indeed involved.

He's got his group which has actually overtaken Meloni's ECR. And reports a third far-right grouping is being formed around AfD

[Tamas]

For some reason I thought AfD was in Orbans group. I don't think they can match his Russian bribes budget though.

[Sheilbh]

No Le Pen kicked them out of I&D (apparently "the SS - were they wrong?" was a bridge too far for her), so unlikely to let them in the new group.

The report I saw from a Brussels reporter:

Jorge Liboreiro
@JorgeLiboreiro
Growing reports that *another* far-right group is about to be formed in the European Parliament with:

🇩🇪 Alternative for Germany (AfD): 15
🇵🇱 Konfederacja: 6
🇪🇸 Se Acabó La Fiesta (SALF): 3
🇧🇬 Revival: 3
🇷🇴 SOS România: 2
🇨🇿 SPD: 1
🇬🇷 NIKI: 1
🇫🇷 Reconquête: 1

Total: 32 MEPs

Apart from Reconquest and Konfederacja, I don't even know any of the others

[Jacob]

Von Der Leyen re-elected as head of the EU commission.

From what I've seen she's done a decent enough job.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah. There's been lot's of criticism - and on specific points some of it maybe justified - but overall I think she's been the most effective and impressive President of the Commission since Delors.

[Jacob]

Apparently wind and solar has generated 30% of the EU's electricity in the first half of 2024 - which is more than that generated by fossil fuels (27%). That's pretty good.

[frunk]

So 43% is from Nuclear/Hydroelectric?  That's higher than I would have thought, unless there's a category I haven't thought of.