Right-wing MEP launches signature drive

Charlie Weimers, vice chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, began gathering signatures Friday to force a vote on investigating the European Left Alliance for breaching EU values.

What the European Left Alliance is

The European Left Alliance is home to Spain's Podemos, Denmark's Enhedslisten, Italy's Left and Portugal's Bloco de Esquerda. Deregistration would mean loss of EU funding and an effective ban.

The accusation: organizing violent protests

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's office accused the ELA's French member, La France Insoumise, of organizing school protests, some of which turned violent. Weimers needs one hundred eighty signatures by October sixteenth.

The left fires back

ELA Co-President Catarina Martins said standing with young people asking for better education is not a breach of EU values, and accused the right wing of abusing procedures to distract from its own investigations.

“Standing with young people asking for better education is not a breach of EU values.”

French right-wing calls for party ban

Les Républicains leader Bruno Retailleau told BFM on Thursday that the question of banning La France Insoumise has arisen following the riots, referring to the party as fascinated by violence.

“fascinated by violence”

The vote needs center-right support

The motion will go to plenary on October nineteenth. It needs support from the center-right European People's Party to pass. EPP chief Manfred Weber's office declined to comment.