Sahra Wagenknecht’s new coalition won six seats in the EU Parliament straight away, with many votes coming from the Left. After negotiations, it is clear that not all hopes have been fulfilled.
The members of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) will not initially belong to any group in the European Parliament. In recent weeks, they have worked intensively with the Five Star Movement from Italy to form a new group in the EU Parliament, said the party’s top candidate for the European elections, Fabio De Masi. “We have come very close to a new political formation, as 20 members from six countries have expressed their interest.” In the end, however, he said, there was no willingness among the negotiating partners who had joined at the last minute to build a new group in a short space of time.
The newly founded BSW won 6.2 percent (6 seats) in the European elections at the beginning of June. To form a group in the European Parliament with seats in Strasbourg, France, and Brussels, at least 23 members are needed, and parliamentarians from at least a quarter, i.e. seven, of the EU countries must be represented. The members may not belong to more than one group. In order to be recognized at the start of the new legislative period, the groups must constitute themselves by July 16, according to parliamentary information.
The next few years in Brussels will be used, even without a parliamentary group, to “advance our political priorities” with other critics of the Commission, possibly under the leadership of the German Ursula von der Leyen, De Masi continued. “We are striving for close cooperation or a shadow parliamentary group with interested democratic parties.” They are confident “that with our work we will lay the foundation for our own parliamentary group in the EU Parliament in the not too distant future.” The parliamentary groups can also constitute themselves during the legislative period.
Von der Leyen is seeking a second term as President of the European Commission. In order to keep her top post for another five years, the CDU politician must win the support of a majority of members of the new EU Parliament in the next few weeks.
Source: Stern
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