German far-right AfD leaves EU group

The move was expected. ID had already broken with the AfD in the run-up to the European elections in June, after controversial statements about AfD candidate Maximilian Krah about the Nazi SS. However, AfD’s decision to exclude Krah did not make any difference. The German party was still a member of Identity and Democracy.

The faction includes right-wing populist and nationalist parties. The AfD has only been a member since last year. Other members include the Italian Lega, the French Rassemblement National (RN), the Dutch PVV and Vlaams Belang.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Sunday that he wants to form a new European parliamentary group, together with Austria’s far-right party (FPÖ) and the centrist movement of former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO).