A collaboration between the European People’s Party (EPP) and the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) at the European level on migration policy has emerged in recent days.
The situation came to light through leaked internal chats and reports of informal meetings — despite the two groups having no formal contact.
The revelations challenge the EPP’s repeated claims that it maintains a strict distance from right-wing parties, particularly the AfD, around which both the German parliament and large parts of the European Parliament enforce a cordon sanitaire to prevent any form of contact or co-operation.
The chats suggest that, behind the scenes, some collaboration has taken place.
Research by the German news agency Deutsche Presse‑Agentur (dpa), published on March 14, shows that in private WhatsApp chats and a face-to-face gathering of MEPs in Brussels, representatives from the EPP, AfD, and other right-wing formations jointly worked on a legislative proposal aimed at tightening migration policy.
According to dpa, this co-operation occurred from late February through early March 2026, after formal negotiations on the bill had stalled. A face-to-face meeting on March 4 marked a key moment in finalising the joint text that later received committee backing.
The collaboration reportedly emerged after negotiations on a migration bill — including proposals to establish “return hubs” for asylum seekers outside EU borders — stalled between the EPP, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and the Liberals (Renew).
Unable to reach a compromise, the EPP allegedly created a private chat group to circulate its draft with right-leaning MEPs.
Participants included MEPs from the EPP and several right-leaning parliamentary groups: European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR); Patriots for Europe (PfE); and the AfD.
One AfD politician, identified as Mary Khan, proposed amendments — including expanded powers for age assessments of asylum seekers, such as medical tests — which were reportedly received positively by EPP members.
Shortly afterwards, the face-to-face meeting on March 4 brought together four negotiators from the respective group families: EPP MEP François‑Xavier Bellamy; AfD’s Khan; a PfE representative; and an ECR negotiator.
Together, they reportedly worked on a version of the proposal that later received committee backing.
The EPP has downplayed the significance of these contacts.
A spokesperson for Manfred Weber, EPP group leader in the European Parliament and a central figure in shaping the party’s legislative strategy, said internal processes would not be commented on. He emphasised that AfD members are “irrelevant” to the group’s majority and positioning.
Weber, a longtime German MEP and former CSU politician, has consistently maintained there is no structured co-operation with parties he considers extremist, including the AfD.
Similarly, CDU MEP Lena Düpont, a member of the committee that approved the draft bill, denied any formal co-operation with the AfD, stressing that other groups’ support should not be seen as evidence of systematic collaboration.
The leaks have already sparked political debate. Critics argue that informal engagement with right-wing actors risks normalising their influence in EU decision-making and contradicts the EPP’s cordon sanitaire against extremist parties.
German lawmakers and European Greens have condemned the inclusion of far-right suggestions in shaping migration policy.
As the legislation moves toward a full plenary vote in the EP, observers say the episode may prompt further scrutiny of informal bargaining practices and how centrist parties manage relationships with far-right forces within the EU institutional landscape.
