Far-right group in EU parliament collapses

Parliament’s controversial far-right political group has collapsed, it has been revealed.

It follows a decision by five Romanian MEPs to withdraw from the Independence, Tradition and Sovereignty group (ITS), which drew MEPs from a number of countries.

The decision was announced in a letter by Corneliu Vadim Tudor, president of the Greater Romania Party.

In the letter, he said the five MEPs had pulled out of ITS in protest at alleged comments by their group colleague Alessandra Mussolini MEP.

He branded her alleged comments as “irresponsible and xenophobic”.

The Italian deputy reportedly said that, in effect, Romanians are habitual law breakers and the Romanian ambassador to Italy should be expelled.

The ITS group will now have just 18 MEPs, two short of the required 20 to remain a valid group. It is significant because, as a formal group, ITS members were entitled to speaking time as well as group staff and allowances.

Parliament’s president Hans-Gert Poettering is expected to formally announce the decision at the opening the plenary in Strasbourg on Monday.
 
The move was welcomed by Green/EFA MEP Alyn Smith, who said: "Watching these people argue amongst themselves warms the heart.

“Parliament is a home to Europe's democracy and it is right that all views are represented but I dislike everything these people stand for and am glad to see their group collapse.
 
"This nasty group was set up barely a few months ago and under the parliament's rules they were, fair and square, entitled to group allowances and staff resources. 

“Now they do not qualify to be a group they should be derecognised forthwith and lose all privileges.
 
"I have written to Poettering to this effect and look forward to seeing the group shut down at our next meeting in Strasbourg."

Further reaction came from Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, who said, “There has clearly been a massive bust-up within the ITS, he told this website.

“This is important because it means the far-right will now have less of a voice in parliament.”

The ITS group was set up in January and was led by French MEP Bruno Gollnisch, who has been accused of being a Holocaust denier.

Since it was formed, the group has had a chequered history.

It initially included Ashley Mote, a British MEP, who has since been jailed for fraud, and a member of the Belgian Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang party.

The Greater Romania party gave the grouping its critical mass. The party is known for its anti-Semitic, anti-Roma and anti-Hungarian views.

Neither Mussolini, granddaughter of the former dictator Benito Mussolini, nor the five Romanian deputies were available for comment.

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