The vice chair of the European Parliament’s right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group began gathering signatures Friday to force a vote on asking the EU political-parties watchdog to investigate the European Left Alliance (ELA) for breaching EU values, according to an email seen by POLITICO. The process could ultimately lead to the deregistration and loss of EU funding — effectively a ban — for the ELA. It’s home to Spain’s Podemos, Denmark’s Enhedslisten, Italy’s Left and Portugal’s Bloco de Esquerda.
The vote would take place in the plenary session on Oct. 19. Parliament should take action because the office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused ELA’s French member, La France Insoumise (LFI), of organizing school protests, some of which turned violent, ECR Vice Chair Charlie Weimers said. He needs 180 signatures from at least three political groups by Oct. 16, a threshold he could reach with support from right-wing and far-right lawmakers.
But the ELA has hit back. The office of EPP chief Manfred Weber declined to comment.
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