Le Pen in Strasbourg, Once Again

The far right is back in the European Parliament. From AFP:

A new extreme-right group, including veteran French firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen and Mussolini's granddaughter, was formally created in the European parliament, parliamentary president Josep Borrell announced.

The "Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty," group which "slightly changes the political geography of our parliament" has fulfilled the conditions for its formal recognition, said Borrell at the start of a plenary session in Strasbourg. [...]

French National Front MEP Bruno Gollnisch will lead the new far right bloc whose founding principles include recognising "national interests, sovereignties, identities and differences", and opposing a "unitary, bureaucratic, European superstate".

Its platform also includes commitments to Christian and traditional family values.

Presumably those traditions of family values are the same despite all those various "identities and differences"?

Some maneuvering by the Socialist Group in response:

Immediately after the announcement of the 20-member group's formation, [Socialist Group leader Martin] Schulz wrote to fellow leaders of the parliament's democratic groups, urging them to deny the new group posts under the proportional system of appointment.

"We must not abandon this parliament, which symbolises the integration of Europe, to those who deny all European values," he said.

After reports that he had been described as a "totalitarian" by Gollnisch, Schulz said: "To be attacked by a man who is a holocaust denier and who represents the neo-fascist movement is an honour for me."

Labels: Europe, European Union, Far Right, Jean-Marie Le Pen

  ¶ Posted by Paul Curtis 10:48 PM