Far-left strengthens far-right in the EU

 

Wiktor Nummelin/TT

 

Published 09.51

 

Member of the European Parliament Katerina Konecna (second from the left) during an election campaign in the Czech Republic last year. File photo. Photo: Petr David Josek/AP/TT

Marine Le Pen’s far-right group in the European Parliament is now larger than Giorgia Meloni’s—thanks to a Czech communist.

The far-right group PFE, led by Le Pen’s “heir apparent” Jordan Bardella, now has 85 members—one more than their counterparts in the Italian-dominated far-right group ECR.

This follows the decision by Katerina Konecna, of the Czech Communist Party (KSČM), to join the PFE—a group she believes has the “most in common” with the left-wing alliance she represented as a candidate in the 2024 election.

In addition to France’s National Rally, the PFE includes parties such as Hungary’s former governing party, Fidesz.

The ECR—the group to which the Sweden Democrats (SD) belong—is dominated by Meloni’s governing party, Brothers of Italy, and Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS).

The largest group in the European Parliament is the Christian Democratic-conservative EPP, with 185 members, followed by the social-democratic S&D, with 135.