AFCO

“Radical Right Challenges to Europe’s Cohesion: The latest elections and polls in different Member States have revealed a rise in the political representation of far-right ideologies, which openly call for the dissolution of the EU or repeatedly undermine its values as outlined in the Treaty on European Union. With euroscepticism on the rise, what can…

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

“Radical Right Challenges to Europe’s Cohesion: The latest elections and polls in different Member States have revealed a rise in the political representation of far-right ideologies, which openly call for the dissolution of the EU or repeatedly undermine its values as outlined in the Treaty on European Union. With euroscepticism on the rise, what can the EU do to foster support for its mission and institutions, and strengthen European stability and democracy?”

Marcel Alnaanaa (NL), Peli Duursma (NL), Fiene Smeets (NL), Lena Stefanovic (NL), Charlotte Verdonck (NL), Sterre van Wijk (NL), Colin Wilod Versprille (NL), Amélie Pasmanns (DE, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to counter the rise of far-right parties and right-wing extremism in the EU. It aims to provide transparent education to all citizens to mitigate the influence of misinformation and other tactics used by the far-right, while further combating online extremism and addressing disparities in development across and within the EU. 

The above is decided upon because,

A. Right-wing parties (RRPs) and far-right extremism have been on the rise in multiple EU Member States and the European Parliament.

  1. EU citizens often have negative attitudes towards the EU, shaping EU policy and leading to euroscepticism.
  2. Defining and reaching target populations for interventions aimed at educating about right-wing extremism is difficult, since far-right extremism is not confined to a certain social group anymore.
  3. Tactics such as populism and misinformation are used by the far-right to increase their voting outcomes.
  4. Online platforms allow for global networks of the far-right and a further spread of their ideology.
  5. Rural development traps lead to less support of the EU in underdeveloped areas. 

To that end, the European Youth Parliament,

  1. Calls upon the European Commission to develop comprehensive guidelines for identifying political parties posing a threat to the Member States and the EU, in order to lawfully prohibit such parties;
  2. Encourages Member States to incorporate verified check marks awarded by impartial researchers to information published by political parties online;
  3. Requests the European Commission to form a specialised task force to monitor politicians on social media platforms who undermine EU values and treaties, and to enforce sanctions;
  4. Suggests the European Parliament publishes a comprehensive summary on how politicians delivered on electoral promises; 
  5. Invites Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), such as HOPE not hate, to establish dialogue forums to address citizens’ frustrations before extremist groups have the opportunity to exploit them;
  6. Urges the Ministries of Education of Member States to add information on the function of the European Union, diverse political perspectives, and the principle of a pluralistic society to their curriculums;
  7. Requests the Directorate-General of Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) to allocate increased funding towards rural areas, with a specific focus on:
    1. addressing the disparity in development between rural and urban areas to mitigate regional development traps,
    2. prioritising education initiatives to raise awareness about the EU’s functioning and foster understanding of diverse political perspectives in rural communities. 

Annex: Definitions belonging to the Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)


For the purposes of this resolution:

  1. ‘Euroscepticism’ refers to those sceptical towards European integration, sometimes coupled with wishes to reestablish national sovereignty. 
  2. ‘Populism’ is the idea of contrasting ‘the people’ with ‘the elite’. This strategy is used by RRPs to present themselves as the voice of ‘the people’ and to discredit ‘the elite’ that is currently in power. 
  3. ‘Regional development traps’ can be defined as regions that face structural challenges hindering economic development, leading to a cycle of poverty and inequity.
  4. Directorate-General of Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) is among other things responsible for EU policy on rural development, including fund allocation and rural development plans.