After the European elections - BSW MEPs in the European Parliament will be non-attached in future
Members of the Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) delegation in the European Parliament will not belong to any faction in the future. In the past few weeks, we have intensively worked together with the Five-Star Movement from Italy on forming a new faction in the EU Parliament, Fabio De Masi, the party's lead candidate for the European elections, announced. "We have come very close to a new political formation, as 20 deputies from six countries have expressed their interest." However, there was no willingness among potential partners who joined at the last minute to build a new faction quickly.
The newly founded BSW gained 6.2% (6 seats) in the European elections at the beginning of June from scratch. To form a faction in the European Parliament with seats in Strasbourg, France, and Brussels, Belgium, at least 23 deputies are required, and parliamentarians from at least one quarter of the EU countries (seven) must be represented. Members cannot belong to more than one faction. To be recognized at the beginning of the new legislative term, the factions must constitute themselves by July 16th, according to parliamentary regulations.
We will use the next few years in Brussels without a faction to promote our political priorities in collaboration with other critics of the Commission, potentially under the leadership of the German Ursula von der Leyen, De Masi continued. "We aim to work closely with interested democratic parties or form a shadow faction." We are confident that "we will lay the foundation for our own fraction in the EU Parliament in not too distant future with our work." Factions can also be constituted during the legislative period.
Von der Leyen aims for a second term as EU Commission President. To keep her leading position in the EU Commission for another five years, the CDU politician must gather a majority of the deputies in the new EU Parliament in the coming weeks.
Fabio de Masi, the lead candidate of the Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht for the European elections, claimed that they came close to forming a new political formation in the EU Parliament with 20 deputies from six countries expressing interest. Due to a lack of willingness among potential partners, they were unable to build a new faction quickly. Despite not belonging to any faction in the future, members of the BSW delegation plan to promote their political priorities in Brussels in collaboration with other critics of the Commission. Fabio De Masi mentioned working closely with interested democratic parties or forming a shadow faction as possibilities. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, which gained 6.2% and 6 seats in the European elections from scratch, is confident they will lay the foundation for their own faction in the EU Parliament in the near future. Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen aims for a second term as EU Commission President, needing to gather a majority of the deputies in the new EU Parliament to maintain her leading position.
