New EU ‘conservative-left’ group could be set up within a year, says Czech MEP

A new conservative left-wing alliance is in the process of forming in the European Parliament, with the potential of officially being established within a year, Czech MEP Ondřej Dostál (non-attached) revealed in an interview for Euractiv.cz. 

“I am happy to inform that we are already having a coordination meeting on 11 Wednesday with Germans, Slovaks, and us,” Dostál told Euractiv.cz., referring to the three non-attached parties that would form the new alliance - Czech MEPs from the coalition Stačilo! (Enough!), Germany’s BSW (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht), and Slovakia’s Smer.

This emerging group is trying to distance itself from the progressive left, focusing instead on more traditional left-wing values such as workers' rights, peace and economic stability.

“We will not form a group yet. We expect that to happen maybe within a year, depending on the other colleagues from other countries," Dostál explained.

"We can at least join forces of our political delegations regarding opinions on voting, common positions, and the cooperation of assistants on highly expert matters,” Dostál added. 

Between the announced parties, there would be already 13 MEPs - two from Stačilo! (Enough!), six from BSW and five from Smer. Once a member of the S&D group, Smer had its membership suspended when, in October 2023, it formed a coalition government with the far-right Slovak National Party. 

EU rules require a political group to comprise at least 25 MEPs from seven member states to form a group in the European Parliament. Dostál is confident that this threshold can be reached. "Both can be achieved," he said.

Asked what other parties this new formation might attract, Dostál only hinted at potential partners in the "European South".

Dostál is also confident that national elections across Europe will further boost support for conservative left-wing political parties, citing the recent electoral success of Sahra Wagenknecht's party in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia.

The emerging conservative left-wing alliance parties share critical positions on several key issues.

On migration, they advocate stricter controls, with Wagenknecht's BSW arguing that Germany's infrastructure is overwhelmed by the current influx, a view shared by other parties in the bloc. On Russia and Ukraine, the alliance is pushing for diplomatic solutions and opposes continued arms supplies to Ukraine.

These parties are sceptical of climate policy, particularly the EU's Green Deal, seeing it as a threat to jobs and industries dependent on traditional energy sectors.

[Edited by Daniel Eck/Alice Taylor-Braçe]