A centrist coalition that has historically shaped European Union laws is reportedly now collaborating with MEPs from far-right parties, including Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Marine Le Pen's National Rally.
The European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, is said to be operating with two majorities. While maintaining a centrist majority for control of principal EU institutions, the EPP is also forming a second majority with groups such as Giorgia Meloni's European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Marine Le Pen's Patriots for Europe (PfE), and the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN).
This reported shift allows the EPP to pass legislation without the support of socialists, liberals, or greens when they resist its terms. Since 2024, the EPP has reportedly voted with the far right more than 20 times, with a far-right group being decisive in one in five final votes in June alone.
The approval of the 'return regulation', described as a migration law allowing EU countries to deport people to detention centres outside EU territory, reportedly passed through this alignment. This new majority is said to be driving a rollback of EU protective standards across areas including migration, climate, corporate accountability, and AI.