According to opinion polls, the Freedom Party could become one of the largest parties in the European elections. But what has this party done in Europe in recent years and what can we expect? “Seeing the chess game between right-wing parties.”
“My impression of the participation of PVV MEPs is that it was limited,” says Mendeltje van Keulen. According to the European expert from The Hague University of Applied Sciences, it is mainly about setting laws. “This is the most important task of the European Parliament,” according to Van Keulen.
“On the fringes of the political spectrum”
There is a caveat to this, says political scientist Chris Alberts. “In defense of the Freedom Party, it can be said that they are on the fringes of the political spectrum. Therefore, it is not easy to make concessions.”
In this sense, according to Alberts, it is not “surprising” that the Freedom Party does not often participate in legislation. But, he said, they made no attempt.
Shadow decision
However, during the party's fifteen years in Europe, two Freedom Party members served as shadow rapporteurs several times. Bert van Slooten explains that this is a function of legislation. He is editor-in-chief of the Brussels Neue newspaper.
As an MEP, you are a co-legislator, says van Slooten. In this position, you negotiate with the European Commission and Member States on the legislation that has been drawn up. “You can do it because you are a rapporteur, you are the one who writes what the European Parliament thinks.” The shadow rapporteur is a member of another policy group, and monitors and works with the rapporteur on legislation.
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Comparison with other MEPs
As shadow rapporteur, you are therefore involved in legislation. But even in this role, involvement with Freedom Party members was minimal, Alberts says.
“You have to compare it, of course, with other MEPs from other parties, and they are simply bogged down more often. In terms of frequency, the Freedom Party is crying like crazy,” he explains.
Short representation
In fact, the party has not been visible in Europe for the past five years. Initially, the party did not enter parliament at all, due to lack of votes. After the redistribution of seats due to Brexit, Freedom Party member Marcel de Graaf was able to enter Parliament.
But even after that, the Freedom Party's representation did not last long. “Because the representative of the Freedom Party very quickly switched to the Forum for Democracy,” says Van Slooten. Van Keulen says the member then joined another association, but was expelled. She has not belonged to any European faction since then.” Even when he was still with the Freedom Party, he did not pass any legislation, according to Van Keulen.
After the elections
It is still unclear how the Freedom Party will position itself after Thursday's elections. In the EenVandaag poll, the party came out on top, along with GroenLinks-PvdA. European Union expert Adrian Schot van Klingendael expects the party to adopt a different position.
According to him, “all signs” indicate that the party wants to reform the European Union firmly from within, along with the party of Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, Marine Le Pen, a rival of French President Emmanuel Macron, and other “hardliners.” Right-wing parties in Europe “It also means that they will likely be more active than they have been so far.”
“power center”
According to Scout, this cooperation still needs to take shape. “We're really seeing a kind of chess game between the parties on the right at the moment.” At the moment, those parties are still divided into two large blocs in Parliament, but according to Scout, it appears that one right-wing place may emerge.
Le Pen and Meloni want to work together in that bloc. “I think the Freedom Party also wants to join him and then he will really sit in the center of power.”
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