Specifically, the Patriots are contesting elections in which the chairs and vice-chairs of parliamentary committees were selected after the 2024 EU election. Those jobs were filled through voting in secret ballots. The group is also questioning the composition of the Parliament’s international delegations, saying its lawmakers were kept away from key roles.
Lawyers for the Patriots — home of France’s National Rally, Spain’s Vox and Hungary’s Fidesz, among others — said its MEPs being kept from top committee jobs was a “categorical exclusion” and it was “not acceptable” for the Parliament’s third-largest party to be locked out of these positions.
The Patriots have 85 lawmakers in the 720-strong chamber. Top jobs in Parliament come up for grabs again in January 2027, giving the Patriots another chance to try to get into powerful positions.
Hungarian lawmaker Kinga Gál, the Patriots’ first vice-president, has previously called the mainstream parties’ actions “outrageous” and “against the rule of law.”
The Patriots’ lawyer, Azelio Fulmini, referred to the EU institution’s own description of representation.
“This proportional distribution of leadership positions within Parliament prevents the dominance of political life by just one or two large political groups, ensuring that smaller political groups also have a say in setting the political agenda,” he read.