Marine Le Pen forms new extreme-right group in European Parliament

Written by Maureen Shamee
Marine Le Pen (picture), leader of the National Front in France, She was joined in the new grouping by members of the European Parliament from Italy, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Austria and the UK. PARIS (EJP)---Leader of the French extreme-right National Front (FN) party, Marine Le Pen,has formed in the European Parliament a new parliamentary group called the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF). She was joined in the new grouping by members of the European Parliament from Italy, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Austria and the UK, after Janice Atkinson - who was suspended from the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip) following allegations of fraud - defected from parliament's Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group. The rules state that a group must consist of MEPs from at least seven different member states. Since the European Parliament was elected in May 2014, the members of the new group belonged to the ‘non-attached’.After the elections, Le Pen had tried to form a group with Ukip leader Nigel Farage, but he had refused to associate with her. Le Pen said that the new group was "the result of a year's work, and of our strong will not to rush into questionable alliances, as have done other groups, to the detriment of their reputation". She underlined that, "the creation of this group is good news for our parties, but also for our countries, peoples and for freedom". The new group will receive more speaking time, get top positions within committees and, crucially, receive more funding. The ENF will be co-presided by Marine Le Pen and Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) MEP Marcel De Graaff.
Last Updated on Sunday, 21 June 2015 08:23