The European Greens’ leading candidates Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout have expressed their deep concern about the participation of representatives of Ursula von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP) at what the Greens are calling ‘a far-right conference’, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary.

At least four speakers from the European People’s Party (EPP), seven from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), including its vice-president, and four from the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) are scheduled to speak at this event.

They share the stage with Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil’s former autocratic president Jair Bolsonaro, a former communications director for Donald Trump, and Spain’s far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal, who is under investigation after making threatening remarks about Spain’s prime minister Sánchez.

The event takes place against the backdrop of two preliminary investigations, about possible payments from Russia and China, initiated yesterday by the Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office. They’re into the German MEP Maximilian Krah, who’s the lead candidate of Alternative für Deutschland (part of the ID group in the European Parliament).

Terry Reintke said, “a pattern emerges where politicians who undermine the democracies all over the world, meet and work together, against a backdrop of Russian and Chinese influence. If anyone still doubted how intertwined members of the ECR and ID parties are with autocrats, fascists and conspiracy theorists, they only have to look at the list of speakers at this conference to see that they are colluding”. 

Bas Eickhout added that today, “Italy celebrates the anniversary of the liberation from Nazi occupation and Fascism. Portugal celebrates the end of the dictatorship 50 years ago. We promise the citizens who will vote in the European elections in six weeks’ time that the Greens have the courage to stand up against the far right. We will fight for democracy and the rule of law throughout Europe”.