EU center-right clashes with Socialists over far-right votes

Since the 2024 EU elections, the EPP has increasingly relied on votes from right-wing and far-right groups, particularly on contentious issues like migration and environmental policy, which have created divisions among centrist parties. This strategy has led to calls from Social Democrats and Liberals for stronger, coalition-style commitments among the centrist forces to ensure a unified approach.

René Repasi, representing the German Social Democrats, emphasized the need for compromises across different policy areas to ensure all parties achieve wins, advocating for a binding agreement with broad ownership. However, Aaltola dismissed this as unrealistic, comparing it to "Soviet election result type of politics."

Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy of Renew Europe highlighted the importance of centrist unity in addressing critical challenges such as the war in Ukraine, geopolitics, climate change, and the cost-of-living crisis. He warned that the debate over cooperating with the far right distracts from these pressing issues and weakens the Parliament's leverage in negotiations with EU governments. Gerbrandy expressed concern that positions adopted with far-right support might not be taken seriously by the Council, potentially undermining the Parliament's influence.