What's happened
European political parties are at odds over alliances with far-right groups in the upcoming European Parliament elections, with the European People's Party declining to sign a letter condemning the far right. The Party of European Socialists has declared no cooperation with far-right forces, while tensions rise over potential alliances with hard-right parties.
Why it matters
The clash among European parties over far-right alliances is significant as it highlights the ideological divisions and strategic considerations ahead of the European Parliament elections. The decisions made by these parties could have a profound impact on the future direction of the EU and its policies.
What the papers say
According to Politico, Ursula von der Leyen has signaled openness to cooperating with hard-right parties, while the Party of European Socialists has taken a firm stance against far-right forces. The Guardian reports on the clash between political parties in Europe over condemning the far right and recent attacks on politicians.
How we got here
The upcoming European Parliament elections have brought to the forefront debates over potential alliances with far-right parties. The European People's Party, the largest group in the parliament, has faced criticism for not signing a letter denouncing the far right, while the Party of European Socialists has made it clear they will not work with such forces.
More on these topics
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Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is a German politician and the president of the European Commission since 1 December 2019. She served in the federal government of Germany from 2005 to 2019 as the longest-serving member of Angela Merkel's cabinet.
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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The European People's Party is a European political party with Christian-democratic, conservative and liberal-conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other political parties, not individuals.
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The European Parliament is one of three legislative branches of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union, it adopts European legislation, normally on a proposal from the European Commission.