Insiders at the European Parliament have rejected rumours that Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) is joining the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group.
In a quickly deleted tweet, Jack Parrock, a veteran Brussels reporter had claimed that RN would be leaving the Identity and Democracy (ID) group to join the ECR alongside Reconquête, its main right-wing political rival in France.
While several officials confirmed that Reconquête was joining the ECR, they firmly rejected any claim that RN would do the same.
“The information in the tweet was incorrect,” one RN parliamentary insider told Brussels Signal, rejecting the suggestion that the party was leaving ID.
Another ID group insider said the claim was “fake news” and that only Reconquête would be joining the ECR.
A Reconquête source was just as adamant that claims RN was joining ECR were wrong, telling Brussels Signal that reports it was were “absolutely not” true.
“Rassemblement National of course stays in ID,” the source said, adding they had “no idea” where the original journalist who circulated the rumour got the idea about RN hooking up
Parrock has since claimed on X that his initial report was based on a “misunderstanding”.
“I hadn’t kept track of certain figures in the French far-right and their movements between parties,” he wrote.
The debacle comes amid rumours of instability within the ID, with Le Pen publicly criticising the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party over its alleged support for the forced repatriation of legal migrants.
She went on to hint that such a policy – if it was held by the AfD – could make it difficult for RN to work with them.
AfD officials were quick to try to appease Le Pen, insisting her concerns were based on a misunderstanding of terminology and that the party only wanted to deport migrants who have “no right” to stay in Germany.
German non-profit news group Correctiv has apparently backtracked on its report about a “conspiratorial” AfD meeting where several politicians and others allegedly discussed the deportation of two million migrants from Germany. https://t.co/NY6To0rlI1
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 29, 2024
