Polish parties in the European Parliament begin to enter alliances

On Tuesday we will sign an agreement with six minor parties to create a new fraction in the European Parliament, said Polish Family League's (LPR) leader Roman Giertych. He believes that the new club will unite about 31 Euro-deputies, but he was reluctant to reveal which parties they come from. One thing that is certain is that these parties are skeptical towards the EU and are concentrated in the Europe for Democracy and Diversity group. During the European Parliament's last term the group consisted of 17 deputies from four countries. In the present term, a parliamentary club can be created only if it has the support of at least 19 deputies from five countries. Now Euro-skeptics have 21 deputies, with the possibility of extending this number to 31 should they come to terms with the LPR. In sum this gives them only 4% of votes in the European Parliament. Deputies from the Polish Peasants Party (PSL) will form the largest right-wing club together with the Civic Platform (PO). Nobody wants to be aligned with Self-Defense, which will probably become an independent party. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 5) D.W.