Patriots for Europe (PfE) will lead negotiations on the European Union’s next climate target on behalf of the European Parliament (EP), officials confirmed to POLITICO Brussels.
The news is significant on several fronts. Firstly, it marks a clear victory for the right-wing political group, which was established almost exactly one year ago by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Herbert Kickl, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Despite rapidly becoming the EP’s third-largest group, PfE MEPs had previously been barred from holding any presidential or vice-presidential positions in EP committees, as mainstream parties imposed a so-called cordon sanitaire against what they described as a ‘far-right’ group. That Patriots will now lead such crucial negotiations signals the fading of this cordon sanitaire and reflects the electorate’s growing influence since last year.
Moreover, as noted by POLITICO Brussels, leading the negotiations gives PfE considerable influence over the shape of the final agreement. It means that an issue traditionally associated with a progressive-green agenda has fallen into the hands of Europe’s broader right-wing movement, potentially leading to significant changes in EU climate policy. The implications of this shift are already evident in the hysterical reactions from progressive MEPs. ‘The report on the EU 2040 climate target is now in the hands of the far right,’ Lena Schilling, the Greens’ lead negotiator on the file, told POLITICO. ‘That should be a wake-up call for all pro-European forces in this Parliament.’ Some progressive lawmakers even told the outlet they would explore all possible means to wrest the file away from PfE.
In recent years, the progressive-mainstream majority in the EP has pushed for increasingly aggressive green policies, which critics argue have often run counter to the interests of European citizens. From the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) framework to ever-growing climate targets and the European Green Deal, these policies have imposed significant burdens on the EU’s agricultural and industrial sectors—evidenced by last year’s widespread farmers’ protests—and have been blamed for weakening Europe’s global competitiveness and economic influence. By leading the negotiations, PfE now has a genuine opportunity to reverse this trend.
Leading the negotiations means that PfE will appoint the rapporteur, who drafts Parliament’s position and leads talks with EU governments on behalf of MEPs concerning the bloc’s 2040 emissions-reduction target. Rapporteurships are allocated via a points system, with each parliamentary group receiving points based on its size. With the rapporteurship in hand, PfE can shape amendments and control procedural timing, effectively determining Parliament’s negotiating posture.
‘By leading the negotiations, PfE now has a genuine opportunity to reverse this trend’
The European Commission proposed the new climate target last week, aiming to set a legally binding goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent by 2040 compared with 1990 levels. Some EU member states, including France, Poland, and Hungary, oppose the target and demand greater flexibility and less stringent measures. Their voices stand to be significantly amplified in the EP through PfE’s rapporteurship.
Patriots for Europe strongly oppose the EU’s current green policies and have called for the suspension of the European Green Deal altogether. PfE President Jordan Bardella stated earlier this year that he envisions a broader coalition in the European Parliament—including the European People’s Party (EPP), the European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR), the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ENS), and PfE—to revise the Green Deal and implement an entirely new agenda.
EU environment ministers are scheduled to discuss the proposed reduction target at a Council of the European Union meeting in mid‑July. Following these discussions, the proposal will enter the ordinary legislative procedure, with formal trilogue negotiations involving the European Commission, Parliament, and Council beginning in Q4 2025. The trilogue process is expected to conclude by late 2025, ahead of COP30 in Brazil in November 2025, allowing the Council and Parliament to finalize the legally binding target.
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