Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has allied with parties from various countries including France and central/eastern Europe to establish a new political grouping in the European Parliament.
The "Europe of Sovereign Nations" will become one of the smaller groups, consisting of 25 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) representing eight nations, just above the minimum required for group formation.
This newly formed entity may show a stronger inclination towards conservative ideologies compared to the previous far-right coalition known as Patriots for Europe, which was created earlier and includes members from Viktor Orbán's Fidesz and Marine Le Pen's National Rally.
The "Europe of Sovereign Nations" has 14 MEPs affiliated with AfD, including representation from Poland's Confederation party, Bulgaria's Revival party, and the Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy party. The latter was previously noted for advocating controversial positions such as urging voters to disrupt religious gatherings near mosques.
The previous participation of AfD in an existing group with National Rally was terminated due to concerns over its stance on sensitive historical issues, ultimately resulting in the formation of a new alliance led by René Aust of the AfD's European Parliament delegation. The coalition includes Tomio Okamura from Freedom and Direct Democracy as one of its key figures, who has expressed intentions to address various socio-political concerns within Europe.
The shift in political dynamics is evident with the emergence of several groups catering to different ideologies, including a center-right alliance led by Giorgia Meloni and others representing far-right and conservative factions in the European Parliament.
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