Overview
- dpa reporting says EPP members coordinated with the right-wing flank, including the AfD, via a chat group and at a meeting on a migration law.
- At the party’s 50th‑anniversary event in Brussels, Manfred Weber labeled anti‑European and right‑populist forces political enemies and set a three‑point cooperation rule: for Europe, for Ukraine, and for the rule of law.
- Weber said the EPP would seek deals with centrist groups but not exclusively, arguing Socialists hold no veto over policy in the European Parliament.
- German Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz sharply criticized the reported contacts and warned he expects them to stop, saying there could be consequences.
- Weber announced a revision of the EPP’s basic program by 2028, while Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored adherence to EU values without addressing the allegations directly.