A new trend is gaining ground in the European Parliament, where we are witnessing centrist parties – the European People’s Party, the Socialists and Democrats, the liberals of Renew, and the Greens, typically frown on any alignment with the far right -, seriously flirting with those radical groups they have previously considered unacceptable. The new practice of breaking protocol and allying with far-right parties to water down certain legislation shaked green and liberal MEPs. One of them labelled the situation ’a shitty sign for European majorities; it is a shitty sign for Europe.’
This situation is, in fact, quite interesting and new, given that the centrist forces are now seemed to be compelled to cooperate with the extremists which was isolated by them with a cordon sanitaire in recent years. (A cordon sanitaire was declared on far-right Identity and Democracy group in 2019, and another two on Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations in 2024.) The reason for this significant shift is very simple, namely that they need to secure votes, according to their changing political interests.
We have witnessed that it was actually the failed vote in October on easing green regulation that has led the EPP to break with its traditional allies and seek other ways to secure votes for its proposals.
In the autumn of 2025, the only alternative route has led the EPP to the far right and, this is key, the biggest group in the EP has not tried to conceal anything.
On the contrary, it had said quite openly that if the traditional centrist allies refused to vote for the European Commission’s proposal, it would then secure a majority with the votes of the far-right parties.
It should be noted that this move was seen by some parties as a threat. Whether the EPP really meant it as a threat is unclear, but in any case, with this first step, precedent, the group opened a door for the far right, an act that earlier was not only unthinkable but also unacceptable in the heart of the EU.
This unprecedented situation allows to ask critical questions as follows.
Does this new development mean that the cordon sanitaire on the far right can be terminated any time when the centre’s objectives coincide with those of the ’main enemy’? Is it really so easy to keep away some groups from European decision-making and later to enter into alliance with them if there is a strong political motivation for that..?
Does all this mean that, after two years of isolation, the far right groups are now considered as acceptable and reliable partners to cooperate with, but only occasionally, when the interests of the centre demand so, with the condition of whenever the wind changes, they will once again be excluded from decision-making without any specific reason…?
Many would probably agree that this is not exactly the height of democracy. Blackmailing political parties, moreover traditional allies, by threatening them to collude with parties earlier labeled together as ’anti-democratic’ can hardly be considered a welcome development in the European Parliament.
This completely new scenario has only surfaced in isolated cases so far, mainly with regard to the green agenda, but it is feared that it will soon become a common practice in Strasbourg. If this new approach by the centrist forces continues, it would soon result in the full dismantling of the cordon sanitaire around the far-right parties in the EP despite the fact that they remain the same, with the same values and objectives. What had changed is the balance of power in the EP, particularly among the centrist parties and, to retain that balance, some of them now need far-right votes.
’For the first time, the so-called cordon sanitaire has been broken in a legislative vote,’ the far-right Patriots group said in a statement.
The truth is, that celebration in the ranks of the Patriots, makes sense as the far right itself did not have to lift a finger to break out of the isolation because the EPP did them this favor.
When news outlets reported on this topic, some of them referred to ’a new European Parliament.’ According to Politico, the far right’s breakthrough in the EP reflects its sweeping advances in national politics across the continent: far-right political parties now lead national opinion polls in France, the U.K. and even Germany. Politico also notes that, for Commission President von der Leyen, the tendency of EPP – her political group – to work more with the right side of the aisle in the Parliament poses complications for her second term.
In fact, the result of the landmark voting in EP on cutbacks to green reporting rules for companies not only indicates that Europe’s firewall against the far right started to fall but it also casts doubt over the parliamentary majority behind European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The EPP has demonstrated to all that if talks with the centre-left collapse, it can turn to the extreme right for support.
Based on the recent developments in the EP, it should be noted that while in some EU Member States, there is still a cordon sanitaire on the far right, at the European level, the most significant centre party, seems ready for cooperation with the extremists.
It is feared that an occassional and light flirting with the far-right parties can easily turn into a regular and deliberate dating which, from the perspective of the far-right Patriots for Europe group, can become a good new start, but, on the other hand, will be a black day for European democracy, at least for the lawmakers of the S&D, the Greens and the Liberals.
Concluding, what we are witnessing is not only a changing dynamic at EU level but also the good old European hypocrisy, topped off by a large dose of interest-driven lust for power.
