Italy's Five Star Movement seeks to join The Left in the European Parliament

The Left has told Italy's Five Star Movement that there are "clear political conditions" before the party can join the group.

Transcript

00:00Italy's Five Star Movement has asked to join the left group in the European Parliament.

00:06It comes as the populist party, who shared a group with Nigel Farage before Brexit, tries

00:12to find a home after a year without a group in the European Parliament.

00:16The left, aware of the party's situation, seems ready to welcome it on board.

00:21It has argued that both parties voted in the same direction on issues such as the migration

00:26pact.

00:27Some members of our group have to sign a so-called political affinity declaration and we will

00:33discuss of course the political topics with them and see if they will fit in the group

00:37or not.

00:38In recent years, the Five Star Movement tried to join the Greens and the Liberals, but to

00:44no avail.

00:45They were also in contact with the Social Democrats.

00:48This Thursday, the left will take its final decision.

00:51Despite its progressive outlook, the left has adopted a critical stance on the EU's

00:55response to Russia's war on Ukraine.

00:58Meanwhile, two co-presidents have been elected by the left, the smaller group of the European

01:03Parliament.

01:04The Frenchman, Manon Aubry, and Germany's Martin Scherdevan were elected on Wednesday.

01:09The European Conservatives and Reformist ECR, the third largest group in the European Parliament,

01:16also elected its leaders, Italy's Nicola Procaccini and Joachim Brzezinski from the Polish party

01:23Law and Justice.

01:26Some MEPs were connected from Brussels.

01:28The development implies that the Polish have ultimately decided to remain in the ECR instead

01:34of joining the Patriots for Europe group of Hungarian Viktor Orban, with whom they have

01:39held negotiations.