A new realignment on defence is emerging inside the far right ahead of key elections
Support for Ukraine and EU defence has emerged as a de facto test of governing credibility for far-right parties in Brussels, opening a series of internal fault lines among right-wing populists as key national elections approach across Europe.
Since February 2022, defence files and pro-Ukraine resolutions have served as a sorting mechanism within the European Parliament, reshaping relations between mainstream groups and parts of the far right, particularly within the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, according to an analysis by MEP Analytics, a Brussels-based AI political intelligence firm.
“Some political forces understood that engaging constructively on defence changed how they were perceived inside the institution,” a senior European Parliament official told Euractiv.
The payoff was tangible. Roll-call votes show that parties once treated as permanent outsiders in previous legislatures have since secured committee responsibilities, especially in Security and Defence (SEDE) and Foreign Affairs (AFET) committees, gaining greater influence within Parliament.
