Overview
- The European Parliament voted in a secret ballot to ask the Authority for European political parties (APPF) to verify ESN, with 414 in favour, 224 against and 18 abstentions on July 7, 2026.
- The APPF had already sent the Parliament, Council and Commission a report that raised doubts about ESN’s respect for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights and will now carry out a formal Article 13 verification.
- Under the updated 2025 regulation the APPF can propose removal from the EU party register but any deletion only takes effect if neither the Parliament nor the Council objects to the authority’s proposal.
- The scrutiny has sharply split political groups in Strasbourg, with left-leaning blocs and some center-right MEPs backing the inquiry and Conservatives, Reformists and Patriots calling the procedure an overreach.
- ESN, which includes national parties such as Germany’s AfD, France’s Reconquête and Italy’s Futuro Nazionale, has rejected the move as political; the next steps to watch are the APPF’s findings and whether Parliament or Council lodge objections that would block sanctions.