The European Parliament in 2025: Party Politics and the New Cordon Sanitaire

The 10th session of the European Parliament (EP) (2024–2029) has seen the EP enter unchartered territory with both the third and fourth largest political groups in the Hemicycle representing Eurosceptic positions. Pro‐European factions considered most reliable for sustaining coalitions such as Renew Europe (RE), Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA) have been overtaken by Patriots for Europe and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). Whilst many Members of the European Parliament opposed to European integration have been elected before, their overall influence has never been higher. The political dynamics of the 10th EP have already had an impact on the way the legislature functions with the leadership of the largest party, the European People's Party (EPP), embarking on a pragmatic strategy to try to work where they can with the Eurosceptic groups. In particular, the ECR has been allowed inside the well‐established Brussels and Strasbourg cordon sanitaire ostensibly on the basis that it supports the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Whilst the policy implications of this remain to be seen, it has caused genuine friction between the EPP and its main partner, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats for Europe (S&D).