Identity and Democracy (European Parliament)

Identity and Democracy (European Parliament)
Name	Identity and Democracy
Abbreviation	ID
Founded	2019
Predecessor	Europe of Nations and Freedom
Ideology	Right-wing populism; Euroscepticism; National conservatism
Position	Right-wing to far-right
Country	European Union

Identity and Democracy (European Parliament)

Identity and Democracy is a right-leaning political group in the European Parliament formed after the 2019 European Parliament election by national parties from across the European Union and associated territories. The group brings together parties previously active in formations such as Europe of Nations and Freedom and collaborates with national movements from countries including France, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. Its members have roots in campaigns tied to figures and organizations like Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini, Geert Wilders, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and movements around issues exemplified by the United Kingdom Independence Party and the Alternative for Germany.

History and formation

The group was established in June 2019 in the wake of the 2019 European Parliament election when representatives from parties including Rassemblement National, Lega Nord, Alternative für Deutschland, Fidesz-adjacent actors, and like-minded delegations convened following negotiations with delegations linked to leaders such as Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini, and Geert Wilders. Its creation followed the dissolution of the Europe of Nations and Freedom group and drew on precedents set by parliamentary configurations after the 2014 European Parliament election and alliances formed around disputes like the European migrant crisis and debates over the Lisbon Treaty. Founders cited disagreements with mainstream groups such as the European People's Party, Socialist Group, and Renew Europe as impetus to formalize a separate right-leaning grouping.

Composition and member parties

Membership comprises national parties and individual Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from a range of states, including delegations from France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, and Netherlands. Prominent parties joining or associated with the group have included Rassemblement National, Lega, Alternative für Deutschland, Vlaams Belang, Freedom Party of Austria, and Party of Freedom and Direct Democracy. The group's ranks have fluctuated as national parties such as Fidesz and Law and Justice (Poland) weighed relationships with rival European blocs and as individual MEPs defected from groups like Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy and Europe of Nations and Freedom. Affiliated politicians have backgrounds associated with movements led by figures like Jean-Marie Le Pen, Nigel Farage, Pieter Omtzigt, and organizational ties to think tanks and networks implicated in debates involving Cambridge Analytica-era campaign strategies and transnational conservative platforms such as the International Democrat Union.

Ideology and policy positions

The group articulates positions rooted in national sovereignty debates prominent since the Treaty of Maastricht and expresses skepticism toward deeper integration envisaged in instruments like the Treaty of Lisbon. Policy priorities include restrictive positions on Schengen Area policies, migration stances in reaction to the European migrant crisis, opposition to supranational measures advocated by the European Commission and European Central Bank, and emphasis on cultural identity reflected in rhetoric comparable to campaigns by Viktor Orbán and Jarosław Kaczyński. The group combines strands from national conservatism, right-wing populism, and hardline Euroscepticism with policy proposals on trade, taxation, and security that contrast with platforms of the European Conservatives and Reformists and Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty-linked actors. Its stances have prompted scrutiny from institutions such as the Council of Europe and commentary in contexts involving human rights debates and rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.

Organization and leadership

Formally organized under the rules of the European Parliament, the group elects a chair, vice-chairs, and a political bureau drawing MEPs from member parties. Leadership has included high-profile figures from national delegations who previously held roles within parties like Rassemblement National and Lega. The group's internal structure mirrors other parliamentary groups with policy committees, delegations to the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and coordination teams for liaising with institutions such as the European Commission and the European Council. Leadership contests and composition have been influenced by intra-European dynamics involving personalities including Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini, and Geert Wilders, and interactions with external political actors like Viktor Orbán-aligned networks.

Activities and influence in the European Parliament

ID participates in plenary debates, committee work, and intergroup dialogues, placing MEPs in committees such as the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on International Trade. The group pursues amendments and motions reflecting its commitments on migration, sovereignty, and regulatory rollback, often voting in opposition to coalitions led by the European People's Party, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, and Renew Europe. Influence is exercised through coordinated voting blocs, amendments to reports, and outreach via media platforms tied to national parties and pan-European outlets that have covered controversies akin to those involving Alt-right media ecosystems and populist campaign infrastructures. The group's leverage varies with the overall composition of the Parliament and has been visible in negotiations over budget frameworks, rule-of-law conditionality linked to Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union, and positions on external relations with actors such as Russia, Turkey, and United States stakeholders.

Electoral performance and representation

The group's formation followed gains by member parties in the 2019 poll where parties like Rassemblement National and Lega increased national vote shares, altering the composition of the European Parliament and affecting coalition arithmetic with groups such as the European Conservatives and Reformists. Representation has shifted with national elections in France, Italy, Germany, and Austria, and through defections and new national coalitions formed in the lead-up to subsequent European contests. Electoral dynamics involving movements such as Brexit Party and national campaigns around leaders like Nigel Farage and Alexis Tsipras underscore the fluidity of representation; ID's seat count and committee assignments depend on national outcomes, alliances, and rules governing group recognition under Parliament procedures.

Category:European Parliament political groups