Reports on the group chat annoyed Merz, who told reporters Monday: “I want to make this very clear: We do not cooperate with the far right in the European Parliament.”
He added that “the EPP group leader also knows that we do not want this cooperation.” The EPP leader in question is fellow German Manfred Weber. “This will be stopped and … there will be consequences if necessary. Manfred Weber now bears responsibility for this,” Merz added.
Weber did not respond to a request for comment. He has been quoted by German media outlets as saying that he didn’t know about the group chat and had not authorized it.
On Tuesday, Charlie Weimers of the Sweden Democrats, which is part of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group, wrote on social media: “The WhatsApp group was started by my office. As negotiator for the ECR I pushed for all groups right of centre to be included in the negotiations and shared with them the Council’s compromise texts long before the final position became public.”
He added that “by working together, the ECR, Patriots for Europe, Europe of Sovereign Nations and the EPP secured a proposal that gives member states tools that would increase return rates: hubs outside the Union, extend of detention of illegals to 24 months including unlimited detention for those posing a security risk, mutual recognition of return decisions, and stricter sanctions.”
The Europe of Sovereign Nations group is home to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Last November, the center-right, right-wing and far-right groups allied to pass the EU’s first omnibus simplification package, exempting more companies from green reporting rules.