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The pan-European party Volt told its members it wants to join the Greens group in the European Parliament in a blow to the liberals, who are jostling for third place.
In the current breakdown of the next European Parliament, the hard right European Conservatives and Reformists group now has 83 seats, it announced, overtaking Renew (which has 81) as the Parliament’s third force. The Greens, of the seven groups in the 720-seat Parliament, are trailing in sixth place.
The changes in alignment could impact Renew’s negotiation position in the talks for the EU’s top jobs package among their current coalition partners, the center-right European People’s Party and the socialists.
In the current Parliament, Volt had one member in the Greens and one in Renew. In the June European election, Volt won five seats: two in the Netherlands and three in Germany. Those five seats could have been an important boon for Renew in the battle to stay the Parliament’s third-biggest force.
The five Volt lawmakers have now recommended they join the Greens — a decision they can vote on until late Sunday evening, German Volt MEP Damian Boeselager confirmed to POLITICO, which was first reported in the Dutch press.
Boeselager added that one factor impacting the decision was Renew’s response to the Dutch liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy entering into government with Geert Wilders’s far-right party.
“What really made the difference for us is that the Green group is more credible when it comes to the fight against right-wing populists,” a letter sent by the five Volt MEPs to party members, obtained by POLITICO, read. It criticized the lack of “serious repercussions” for VVD and also remarked that the “populist” party of Czech billionaire Andrej Babiš still remains a member of Renew.
Hanne Cokelaere contributed reporting.
