The European Parliament has dismissed a proposal from the populist Patriots for Europe group to debate the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump and the escalating political violence in Europe.
The Patriots for Europe group, spearheaded by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, sought a debate and resolution condemning the violence following the Trump shooting. However, the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected, with 337 votes against, 119 in favor, and 15 abstentions.
Support for the Patriots came primarily from the populist Europe of Sovereign Nations and European Conservatives and Reformists groups. The former is led by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, while the latter is led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni‘s Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
Reacting to the vote outcome, Kinga Gál, the First Vice-President of the Patriots for Europe and an MEP from Orbán‘s Fidesz party, criticized the parliament’s refusal to address the attempted assassination, accusing them of ignoring violence against patriotic politicians.
Patriots member Tom Vandendriessche echoed this sentiment, denouncing the decision as hypocritical and highlighting what he sees as selective outrage over attacks on democracy within the European Union (EU).
Formed just last month, Patriots for Europe is now the third-largest group in the European Parliament, comprising MEPs from parties associated with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and France’s Marine Le Pen.
Political violence against populist and anti-establishment politicians has become a common occurrence across Europe, including the attempted assassination of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico earlier this year.
Members of Alternative for Germany have also been subject to violent attacks, such as Heinrich Koch, who was stabbed in Mannheim last month while confronting a person pulling down political posters.