MEPs of the French far-right party Rassemblement National (RN, PfE) asked to join the European Parliament’s informal group on nuclear energy on Tuesday (15 October) in a letter sent to the group’s chair.
The request was authored by MEP Aleksandar Nikolic (PfE), signed by around thirty MEPs from the far-right EU group, and directed to the group’s head, Christophe Grudler (Renaissance/Renew).
“We are asking you [Grudler] to send us an invitation to join the informal intergroup,” Nikolic writes.
Grudler established the ‘Nuclear Energy Focus Group’ in 2021, which has since gained influence and now includes over 120 pro-nuclear MEPs from the S&D, EPP, Renew, and ECR groups.
Until now, no members from PfE ever sought to join.
The group is effectively open to all MEPs, as there is no formal process for requesting membership. This means that while PfE members may not be involved in decision-making, they are already able to attend meetings.
“A set of rules governs the group’s meetings. The group’s meetings are governed by the European Parliament’s rules of procedure, and as with all specialist committee meetings, they are open to all Members of the European Parliament,” a source from the Renew group told Euractiv.
As a result, the letter has been viewed as a “non-event,” they added.
Despite this, Grudler may find himself caught in the crossfire, given the significant political differences within the group. On one hand, if the PfE joined the group, some S&D members could leave it. On the other, outright denying PfE access could alienate the conservative ECR.
As of Thursday (17 October), Nikolic did not have contact with ECR counterparts, he told Euractiv.
Nationalising EU disputes
Renew suggested that rather than a formal meeting, a direct “explanation” between Grudler and Nikolic could take place, possibly during the next parliamentary Energy and Industry Committee (ITRE) meeting – where both are members – in December,
For Nikolic, however, it would be desirable if this were to occur during the next plenary week starting 21 October.
“The nuclear issue cuts across all divides,” Nikolic argued, adding that denying PfE access to the group would be “anti-democratic,” as the group represent millions of voters in France.
If excluded, Nikolic warned that the far-right RN party could frame this as an act of disrespect by President Emmanuel Macron’s liberal MEPs towards RN voters, a PfE member explained to Euractiv.
Nikolic further criticised the group’s inclusion of members from S&D, a largely anti-nuclear faction, while excluding the pro-nuclear PfE.
He added, “At a time when the [French] government is considering raising energy taxes, we would also like to expose this double standard by the Macronists.”
Perfect timing
The letter was published just hours after French Energy and Ecology Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher announced that the first meeting between the EU Member States of the Nuclear Alliance – a nuclear lobbying group at the governmental level – and the informal MEPs nuclear group would soon be held.
“Publishing the letter in the wake of this was not done on purpose, but it came at the right time,” Nikolic told Euractiv.
Firstly, Agnès Pannier-Runacher’s return to an energy ministerial portfolio in mid-September has given the Nuclear alliance a boost after six months without a meeting. She is the driver of this French initiative.
Secondly, the Parliament’s nuclear group sent its nuclear-related grievances to the European Commission on Wednesday (16 October) – just days before the hearings for the proposed new EU Commissioners.
MEPs from this group called for “decisive measures in the first months of the new Commission to prioritise nuclear energy in European policies.”
[Edited by Donagh Cagney/Martina Monti]
Source: euractiv.com
