Renew Europe rises to 77 members, but the counter-overtake of the Conservatives (in fourth place) will be difficult

Brussels – As we wait to see how the (divided and quarrelsome) chessboard of the European right will finally shape up, the other political groups in the EU Parliament have now consolidated, with the latest news coming from the newly elected MEPs. The liberals of Renew Europe have risen to 77 members, just over two weeks after the collapse over the exit of the seven Czech members of the liberal-conservative-oriented populist party ANO 2011 (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens) of former prime minister Andrej Babiš and the five newly elected MEPs from the pan-European Volt party who chose to remain in the Greens/Ale group.

However, hopes of overtaking the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group have now become increasingly feeble, not to mention that any counter-overtake would be to take fourth place and no longer the lowest step on the podium of the largest groups in the EU Parliament. As of Monday (July 8), the bronze medalist goes to the new far-right sovereignist formation Patriots for Europe with its current 84 members, six more than the conservative right and seven more than the liberals. “Together, we will work for a more prosperous and secure Europe that delivers for its citizens,” reads yesterday’s (July 9) post on Renew Europe group’s X page to welcome Irish independent Ciaran Mullooly after he accepted the request of his new European family, the European Democratic Party. Although “you never know” – as sources inside the Liberal group say – this could be the final number ahead of the official announcement of the establishment of the groups on July 15, the day before the formal inauguration of the 10th legislature with the plenary session in Strasbourg.

On June 19, the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (on that date with 83 members)  overtook the third place of the Renew Europe group (down from 100 to 80 members after the elections) – behind the European People’s Party (188) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (136). With the entry of a new Belgian member of Les Engagés, the counter-overtake seemed to have begun. However, there was a first the cold shower when the seven Czech members of ANO bid it farewell, which made the number of members of the Renew Europe group fall to 74. Then, Volt MEPs confirmed they would not change parliamentary groups in the tenth legislature. The subsequent formalization of all members at the constituent meeting on June 25 and the entry of Irish independent Michael McNamara stabilized the quota at 76 until the latest entry yesterday. What changed the balance of power among the parliamentary groups was the establishment of Patriots for Europe, in particular, because of the move of the six Spaniards from Vox from the ECR to the new far-right group: the conservatives were thus leapfrogged into third place, while the liberals of Renew Europe slipped to fifth.