EditEU Parliament launches unprecedented probe into AfD-led European party over alleged breach of EU values
Europe of Sovereign Nations risks losing its legal status and EU funding under the bloc’s revised rules on European political parties
The European Parliament has launched an unprecedented procedure that could ultimately strip the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) of its status as a recognised European political party and deplete if of EU funding, over alleged breaches of the Union’s fundamental values.
In a secret-ballot vote on Tuesday, MEPs approved a request for the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF) to formally verify whether the ESN complies with the legal conditions required for registration under EU law. The motion passed comfortably, with 414 votes in favour, 224 against and 18 abstentions.
The move follows a notification from the independent oversight authority, which informed the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission that it had identified facts raising doubts about the party’s compliance with the values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, including democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
Although Parliament’s vote does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation, it marks the first time the verification mechanism has been activated since the EU strengthened its rules on European political parties in 2025 in an effort to increase transparency, counter foreign interference and better safeguard democratic principles.
If, after its assessment, the APPF concludes that ESN no longer fulfils the legal requirements, the party could be deregistered as a European political party and lose access to EU funding. Under the regulation, any decision would still require a period of democratic scrutiny, during which both the European Parliament and the Council would have the right to object before the measure takes effect.
The ESN, founded in August 2024, brings together several nationalist and far-right parties from across Europe. It is led by Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and also includes parties from Bulgaria, France, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. Italy’s National Future party, led by former general Roberto Vannacci, was the latest political force to join the alliance.
The move is of of particular significance as the AfD vies for power in Germany.
According to Parliament officials, the centre-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the far-right Patriots for Europe opposed the request for verification, while the remaining political groups supported launching the procedure.
Patriots for Europe is the European political group where Rassemblement National – Marine Le Pen’s party, which is vying for the French presidency in 2027 – sits.
The investigation is based on an extensive dossier compiled by the APPF, reportedly spanning around 300 pages, documenting statements and actions by member parties that the authority considers potentially incompatible with the Union’s founding principles.
Among the examples cited are allegations that some AfD representatives expressed sympathy for Nazi-era ideas, while Thierry Baudet of the Dutch Forum for Democracy promoted mass “remigration” as a means of preserving a “white” Europe. The file also reportedly includes racist campaign material displayed by the Czech SPD party, actions by Bulgaria’s Vazrazhdane (Revival) party aimed at preventing the screening of a film depicting homosexual relationships, and a ruling by a German court finding elements of the AfD’s political programme incompatible with human dignity and freedom of religion.
Supporters of the procedure argued that EU taxpayers’ money should not finance organisations accused of undermining the very principles on which the bloc is founded.
“Those who incite against minorities, collude with Europe’s enemies and fuel racism should not be rewarded with taxpayer money,” German Green MEP Daniel Freund said, arguing that Parliament should move swiftly towards suspending EU funding if the authority confirms its findings.
Italian Socialist MEP Alessandro Zan also welcomed the vote, saying that European funds should not support political forces that “trample on the fundamental values upon which the Union was founded.”
The ESN rejected the accusations, describing the decision as politically motivated. In a statement issued after the vote, the party argued that its members must remain free to express the concerns of their voters without risking administrative proceedings or financial sanctions because their views challenge the political mainstream.
The party insisted that the procedure represents an attack on political pluralism rather than a neutral legal assessment of compliance with EU law.
Any sanctions resulting from the investigation would apply only to the European political party itself. The ESN parliamentary group, which currently consists of 27 MEPs, would remain unaffected, as would the individual lawmakers belonging to it.
The distinction is significant under EU law. European political parties are legal entities that bring together national parties at the European level and receive funding from the EU budget to coordinate election campaigns, develop common political programmes and support political education. Parliamentary groups, by contrast, are internal formations within the European Parliament that organise legislative work and voting but are governed by separate rules.
The APPF will now begin its formal assessment, with the outcome likely to become a closely watched test of the EU’s new enforcement powers against European political parties accused of violating the bloc’s democratic values.
Sources: Euronews, European Parliament
Caption: A general view shows the Hemicycle of the European Parliament before a plenary session in Strasbourg, France, 6 July 2026. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS
Updated: July 8, 2026 - 05:26
