He European Parliament has dedicated its first resolution of the tenth legislature approved this Wednesday to reiterate its support for Ukraine in the face of the war of aggression unleashed by Russia. Vladimir Putin. An inaugural vote that has already revealed the deep divisions between the three groups of radical right which have just been formed in the European Parliament, and which account for 26% of the seats.
The European Conservatives and Reformists -led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Polish Law and Justice Party- have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the resolution. In contrast, both the Patriots for Europe -the group of Viktor Orbán, Marine Le Pen and Vox- as the Europe of Sovereign Nations -where Alternative for Germany is active- have opted for ‘no’.
In the end, the text was approved by a large majority of 495 votes in favour, 137 against and 47 abstentions thanks to the support of the Popular Party, Socialists, Liberals and Greens.
[El Parlamento Europeo aplica el cordón sanitario al grupo de Orbán y Vox pero no a Meloni]
In its resolution, the European Parliament condemns Viktor Orbán’s recent visit to Vladimir Putin in Moscow, abusing the prerogatives of the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council. This is a “flagrant violation” of the Treaties and the common foreign policy, which should have “repercussions for Hungary”.
MEPs stress that the so-called “peace mission” of the Hungarian Prime Minister was immediately followed by the attack on the children’s hospital, demonstrating the “irrelevance” of Orbán’s alleged peace efforts.
The head of the European Socialists, Iratxe García, during the debate on Ukraine in Strasbourg
“We have been witnessing for a long time the collusion of the extreme right in this House with Putin. A few days ago, the most visible head of the new group of false patriots, Orbán, met with Putin to denigrate the EU, proclaim that he has a peace plan that no one knows about and promote Russian expansionism“, denounced the leader of the socialist group, Iratxe García.
The European Parliament calls on the EU and its Member States to increase its military support for Ukraine “for as long as necessary and in whatever manner necessary.” It also makes clear its firm support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Finally, MEPs call on the EU to maintain and expand its sanctions policy against Russia and Belarus.
The new distribution of forces was staged for the first time in the debate before the vote. The president of Patriots for Europe, Jordan Bardellawho spoke immediately after the spokesmen of the EPP and the Socialists, because his group is the third largest in the European Parliament. “I say it here very clearly: we cannot allow Russian imperialism to absorb Ukraine,” he declared.
However, Bardella has then stated a whole series of caveats that leave their support for kyiv emptyThe Patriots for Europe group particularly rejects Ukraine’s entry into NATO because it “would fuel the risk of escalation with a nuclear power.”
The head of the National Rally also does not think it is right to allocate 0.5% of the annual budget to help Volodymyr Zelensky’s government or supply it with weapons that can strike Russian territory. Ukraine’s accession to the EU would “seriously unbalance” the common agricultural policy, he said.
But What has most upset the Patriots for Europe is the criticism of their founder“This resolution, which explicitly condemns Viktor Orbán’s diplomatic visits, weakens the unity of Europeans. Hungary, a reliable NATO partner, cannot be blamed for wanting to keep the channels of discussion open,” said Bardella.
Patriots for Europe leader Jordan Bardella during the debate on Ukraine on Wednesday in the European Parliament plenary session
For his part, the spokesperson for the Europe of Sovereign Nations, the MEP from Alternative for GermanyRené Aust, has argued that European citizens want peace and that the EU’s strategy of military aid to Ukraine and sanctions against the Kremlin only increases the risk of open war.
“I appreciate that Mr Orbán has taken responsibility“Political leadership in democratic societies means standing up for what is right even if it is met with opposition. It is not about taking the easy and popular path, but doing the right thing. The right thing is to change the strategy and push for peace talks,” Aust said.
“We are faced with a dilemma: Do we just want to end this war or do we want Ukraine to win?“, replies the co-president of the European Conservatives and Reformists, Pole Joachim Brudziński: “If Ukraine is defeated, Russia will immediately escalate the threat by deploying nuclear weapons and troops right on our borders,” he said.
In addition to two of the three far-right groups, The radical left group also voted against“The answer is not more weapons. The future of a Europe at peace lies in strengthening international organisations and disarmament, not in a new arms race,” argued its spokesman, Martin Schirdewan.
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