Germany's Nazi past should serve as a warning to European conservatives as they consider how much they can rely on the support of the far right to implement their policies, the leader of the European right in the European Union has said.
Manfred Weber said in an interview with Politiko that he believes the European People's Party (EPP), which brings together center-right parties from across Europe, has a strong mandate to implement right-wing policies, but that it must do so without repeating the mistakes that German conservatives made in the 1930s, when they allowed Adolf Hitler to come to power.
Cooperation with the extreme right on migration
"Bearing in mind Germany's history with the Weimar Republic and the Nazi regime, it was a real historical mistake to give far-right politicians executive power and that is a red line for us," said the EPP president.
But the party walks a fine line. While it does not actively negotiate with the far right, the EPP often depends on its votes in the European Parliament, cooperating on areas such as migration and deregulation - the very issues the EPP believes motivated voters to support it.
"I would like to see a different situation in the European Parliament. But they are here, they have a voice. And the EPP adheres to the principle of following through on its promises," said Veber, according to Index.
Weber personally, as well as the EPP in general, has been criticized by socialists, liberals and the Greens for a rightward shift after the June parliamentary elections, both in policy and rhetoric. These critics argue that the EPP has moved closer to politicians they consider extreme, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, which Weber considers moderate enough to cooperate in a loose coalition known as the "Majority for Venezuela".
The EPP includes prominent politicians such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Since elections last June, the party has controlled the main EU institutions – the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council – and has a decisive role in making many decisions.
The EPP has taken populist themes and made them its own
Weber, a member of the Christian Social Union (the Bavarian sister party to Merck's CDU), said the election results, which gave the EPP the largest number of MEPs in the European Parliament, followed a wave of far-right gains, showing that citizens want right-wing answers to their problems and a break with the center-left consensus that dominated the previous mandate in Brussels.
His ideal scenario, Weber said, is cooperation with centrist parties to facilitate a shift to the right. Weber stressed that he is aware that on key issues such as defense, foreign affairs and the budget, "there is no possibility of achieving anything for the development of Europe together with the far right."
Ahead of the European elections in June 2024, the party has taken on themes promoted by populist movements and made them its own. These are now being carried over into EU politics, one of Weber's strategies to turn voters away from extremist parties.
"We are fighting the far right, and this is only possible if we change our policies to respond to what citizens are asking of us," said Weber, claiming that the EPP is the only party taking steps to combat the rise of the far right: "Others talk about it, but we do it."
On migration, the EPP has promised to increase deportations and tighten border controls. They have also promised deregulation by reopening important legislative proposals related to green policies. In Parliament, they have counted on the support of the far right to push through their political goals, such as easing deforestation laws and abolishing the EU's ethics body.
Some national parties within the EPP are going their separate ways
Despite Weber's "red line" of not allowing extremist forces into positions of power, some national EPP parties are going their own way. For example, in Spain, the People's Party has already formed governments in several regions with the far-right Vox party, which is affiliated with Patriots for Europe at the European level.
"There is no longer a left-liberal majority in this house, and this must be reflected in politics. Things must change after 180 million people voted. That is why it is crucial for me that our program now dominates the European program," said Weber.
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