The European Parliament votes on a new regulation to ‘ideologically’ control political parties and threaten their sovereignty

The European Parliament will vote on Tuesday on a new regulation that redefines the status and funding of European political parties and their foundations. The measure carries a deep ideological and centralizing bias, which has been firmly denounced by the group Patriots for Europe, who have already confirmed their vote against it.

The text is part of the Action Plan for European Democracy launched in 2020 by the European Commission. Its entry into force is scheduled for January 1, 2026, following expected formal approval by the Council.

One of the most controversial elements of the new regulation is the increase in public co-financing for European political parties. Starting in 2026, up to 95% of party income may come directly from the EU budget (up from 90% currently). At the same time, their self-financing capacity is limited: a maximum of 3% for parties and 5% for foundations.

This financial model reinforces parties’ dependence on European institutions. For Patriots for Europe, this represents “another step toward a European political bureaucracy dependent on the Commission, not citizens,” transforming European parties into instruments almost entirely funded by public money under Brussels’ ideological supervision.

Beyond finances, the text introduces a fundamental ideological requirement: express adherence to the “values of the Union” established in Article 2 of the EU Treaty. A European administrative authority will verify this adherence and may impose sanctions if non-compliance is found. This provision is seen as a direct threat to pluralism and national party sovereignty. Patriots warn that this mechanism allows EU institutions to decide which parties are legitimate to exist, operate, and receive funding based on an official interpretation of European values.

“Europe, which for centuries was an example of political diversity, now moves toward minimal diversity in a maximum space,” says Patriots for Europe, denouncing cultural and political homogenization imposed by the institutions.

The new regulation also opens the door to collaboration with non-EU parties for the first time. The figure of “associated partners” is introduced, which may come from EFTA countries, candidate states, Kosovo, former EU members, or eurozone countries. However, these partners will have no voting rights and cannot pay fees, limiting their influence within European parties.

Sovereigntist sectors emphasize that this is a controlled and subordinated expansion, further reinforcing the hierarchical structure of Europarties under Brussels’ institutional supervision. The regulation also introduces new obligations affecting internal party structure. From 2026, it will be mandatory to ensure gender balance in leadership bodies, produce annual reports on representation gaps, and apply protocols against sexual or gender-based harassment.

Although presented as measures of modernization and fairness, critics argue that the regulation imposes a specific ideological vision of political and organizational life, using public funding conditions as leverage.

For Patriots for Europe, these provisions reflect Brussels’ intention to intervene in party autonomy, aligning them to a single pattern of organization and thought.

The processing of the regulation has been marked by a lack of agreement between institutions. Despite numerous rounds in 2022 and 2023, a provisional agreement between the Parliament and Council was only reached in June. The Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) approved it last July, with the only visible opposition coming from Patriots for Europe, who denounce the lack of open debate and the artificial consensus among Populars, Socialists, and Liberals. “We oppose legitimizing an ideological conception of democracy that imposes a single political consciousness, undermines national sovereignty, and transforms European parties into ideological control instruments funded by Brussels,” adds Patriots.

The vote in the European Parliament plenary will take place this Tuesday. If approved, the Council must ratify it, and the new regulation will enter into force on January 1, 2026. This will consolidate a Brussels-funded European party model, filtered by ideological criteria and overseen by a supranational authority. Far from strengthening democracy, the new regulation represents a qualitative leap in the ideological homogenization of the Union, reducing pluralism and marginalizing voices critical of European federalism.