Centre Parties Eye Formal Alliance to Contain Far-Right Surge in European Parliament
Senior legislators in the European Parliament are weighing an unprecedented formal power-sharing arrangement between the centre-right European People’s Party and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, as concerns mount that the political middle ground in the chamber is becoming increasingly difficult to hold together, according to reports.
The proposal, said to have originated with prominent German MEPs from both groupings, would transform what has traditionally been an informal, case-by-case cooperation between the two largest blocs into a structured governing coalition — a model more commonly associated with national parliaments than with the EU’s directly elected legislative body. Proponents argue the move is necessary to prevent far-right factions from exercising outsized influence over the parliamentary agenda.
The timing of the discussions reflects deepening anxiety within establishment circles following gains made by nationalist and populist parties across multiple member states. Those gains have translated into a more assertive far-right presence within the Parliament, which observers say has begun to complicate the passage of legislation that would previously have been considered routine.
Strains Beneath the Surface
Relations between the EPP and the Socialists and Democrats have reportedly deteriorated in recent months, making the prospect of a formalised deal both more urgent and more complicated to achieve. Disagreements over migration policy, climate legislation, and the pace of European integration have exposed fault lines that informal coordination mechanisms have struggled to paper over. According to reports, a number of MEPs within both groups have grown frustrated with ad hoc arrangements that they regard as unpredictable and prone to breakdown.
Critics of the proposed alliance, however, warn that locking the two traditional power blocs into a formal pact could backfire. Some argue it risks alienating voters who are already sceptical of what they perceive as a self-serving political establishment, potentially driving further support toward the very parties the arrangement is designed to marginalise. Others question whether such a deal is legally or procedurally feasible within the Parliament’s existing rules.
The European Parliament operates differently from most legislatures in that it has no formal government or opposition structure, with majorities assembled on an issue-by-issue basis. Any move toward coalition governance would represent a significant cultural and procedural shift for an institution that has long prided itself on its fluid, cross-partisan approach to lawmaking.
The debate also comes as the EPP itself faces internal pressure over how closely it should engage with the harder edges of the European right. The party has in recent years maintained sometimes ambiguous relationships with national conservative movements that critics describe as incompatible with core European democratic values, a tension that any formal centrist alliance would inevitably be forced to address head-on.
Whether the proposal advances beyond internal discussions remains to be seen. The European Parliament faces a packed legislative calendar, and the political energy required to negotiate and sustain a formal inter-group deal is considerable. Nevertheless, the fact that senior figures from both the centre-right and centre-left are openly discussing the idea signals how seriously the establishment is beginning to take the structural challenge posed by the far right’s continued growth.
