The European Parliament is restricting funding to right-wing parties by selectively enforcing its own rules, it has been claimed.
“The European Parliament Bureau decides who gets funding and who doesn’t — not based on EU law but on political allegiance,” Patriots financial director told Brussels Signal on March 20, suggesting that right-wing parties were facing stricter scrutiny than their political counterparts.
These revelations have raised concerns that the EP Bureau may be selectively enforcing EU funding rules, restricting certain parties while overlooking potential violations by others.
A letter addressed to the EP’s Director-General from Patriots for Europe’s financial adviser contesting the non-reimbursement of more than €250,000 in party funds, arguing that similar cases involving other political groups were treated differently have allegedly been redacted by the EP services.
When the document reached the EP’s central bureau for review, critical elements highlighting these discrepancies were redacted, effectively limiting scrutiny of the claims made by the right-wing party.
The European Parliament’s Bureau is a body of 14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors elected by MEPs.
According to the EP’s website, the Bureau holds authority over the European parties. It is tasked with overseeing administrative, budgetary and organisational matters within the EP institution.
At the heart of the controversy is a political ad campaign in Czechia in 2023 by the Patriots – then named the ID Party – which triggered scrutiny from the Bureau.
It said the ID group was accused of “indirectly financing” political ads for the right-wing Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party in Czechia.
The ad campaign opposing the EU Green Deal in the country featured French National Rally de facto leader Marine Le Pen, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and a leader of the Czech SPD, with the slogan: “We will continue to fight against the Green Deal.“
The EP Bureau argued the ID party’s logo on campaign material was too small, potentially leading Czech citizens to perceive it as a national campaign rather than an EU-wide initiative. It also noted that the ad campaign was exclusively run in Czechia, potentially reinforcing concerns that it primarily benefited the SPD party.
As a result, the Bureau ruled the financing ineligible, meaning the associated expenses of €228,776.71 that was given to the company in charge of the public display of the ads would not be reimbursed.
In response, the Patriots party defended the campaign, highlighting what it claimed were similar practices by other parties.
It specifically pointed to the Renew Europe Now campaign, launched in March 2024 by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE) and the European Democratic Party (EDP). Its logo closely resembled that of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament and the French association Renew Europe France, the Patriots claimed.
“If the similarity in branding can be considered indirect funding of a national party, then the entirety of the ALDE Party and EDP’s expenses for Renew Europe Now should also be deemed ineligible,” it argued.
“The problem is not so much that my party may have made a mistake, but that the others may have made the same mistake without facing the consequences,” Patriots financial director said.
The Patriot also claimed that a requested meeting with the EP Bureau regarding contested funding was refused.
The correspondence showed that the Bureau had declined to meet with the Patriots.
According to correspondence, the Bureau argued that the refusal was due to “scheduling conflict and lack of availability from the Patriots”, which the Patriots have refuted.
From 2024 to 2027, the Bureau is composed of 14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors, all elected by MEPs. They include three members of the European People’s Party Group (EPP), five from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), two from Renew Europe, two from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), one from the Greens and one from The Left.
Between 2022 and 2024, the Bureau was primarily dominated by the EPP, S&D and Renew Europe.
