Identity and Democracy

Identity and Democracy (ID) was a right-wing political group in the European Parliament, active from 2019 to 2024, bringing together nationalist, Eurosceptic and anti-immigration parties. It represented one of the main parliamentary homes of the European far right during the ninth legislative term.

History and ideology

Identity and Democracy was formed after the 2019 European Parliament elections as the successor to the earlier Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group. It assembled a range of parties from France, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and several other states, with the French National Rally and Italy’s League among its most important members. The group was created to consolidate a wider transnational right-wing bloc after gains by nationalist parties across Europe.

Its internal composition reflected a pragmatic alliance rather than a fully unified ideological movement. The common denominator was opposition to deeper EU integration, defence of national sovereignty, scepticism toward immigration, resistance to multiculturalism, and criticism of supranational governance. On economic policy, the group was less coherent: some members favoured welfare nationalism and economic interventionism, while others supported market-oriented or libertarian positions.

Ideologically, ID sat on the hard right of the European spectrum, overlapping with national-conservatism, right-wing populism, Euroscepticism, and in many analyses the radical right or far right. Core pillars included:

• National sovereignty over EU federalisation
• Restriction of immigration and stronger border controls
• Law and order and public security
• Defense of national identity, culture, and traditions
• Opposition to compulsory redistribution and some climate-related EU regulation
• Criticism of elites, Brussels institutions, and political integration

The group’s public messaging frequently framed the EU as overly centralised and detached from ordinary voters. At the same time, ID parties differed sharply on foreign policy, economic intervention, relations with Russia, and social issues, which limited the group’s coherence beyond a few shared themes.

Objective achievements and contributions

From a factual institutional perspective, Identity and Democracy’s main contribution was to provide organizational weight and visibility to a major bloc of nationalist parties inside the European Parliament. Its achievements were therefore less about passing legislation and more about shaping parliamentary debate, committee scrutiny, and agenda-setting.

Key objective facts include:

• Parliamentary representation: In the 2019–2024 term, ID was one of the largest far-right groupings in the European Parliament, giving nationalist parties coordinated speaking time, committee access, staffing, and procedural privileges.
• Coordination across national parties: The group unified parties that had often been isolated nationally, allowing them to coordinate positions on migration, sovereignty, agriculture, energy, and institutional reform.
• Opposition to centralisation: ID consistently served as a parliamentary platform for criticism of EU treaty deepening, migration compacts, and regulatory expansion, helping keep these issues prominent in EU-level debate.
• Influence on policy debate: While not a governing bloc, ID contributed to the broader normalisation of stricter positions on migration and national sovereignty across European politics, especially as centre-right parties adjusted rhetoric under pressure from nationalist challengers.
• Committee and plenary intervention: ID members used parliamentary questions, amendments, speeches, and resolutions to challenge Commission initiatives and draw attention to concerns over border security, energy prices, rural communities, and institutional accountability.

It is important to note that ID did not control the European Parliament or the European Commission, and it was generally excluded from governing majorities. Its “achievements” were therefore mainly indirect: agenda influence, protest politics, and agenda obstruction rather than legislative authorship. The group also reflected the practical reality that far-right parties can shape debate without needing executive power.

Outlook

Identity and Democracy’s future role is tied to the continuing strength of nationalist and Eurosceptic politics in Europe. Although the parliamentary group itself ceased to exist in its 2019–2024 form after the 2024 European elections and subsequent realignments, its political style and network of parties remain influential. The underlying forces that supported ID—migration anxiety, distrust of Brussels, concerns about sovereignty, inflation, deindustrialisation, and cultural polarisation—have not disappeared.

In the short term, the main challenge for ID-type politics is internal fragmentation. Its member parties often agree on opposing EU federalism but diverge on Russia, NATO, fiscal policy, and domestic social questions. That makes long-term group discipline difficult. A second challenge is strategy: whether these parties remain protest movements or become coalition-capable forces in national governments and, potentially, in a more durable European alliance.

In the medium term, the broader political environment is favourable to the themes once organised under ID. Even where the group name no longer exists, its policy priorities—especially migration control, border security, and anti-centralisation—have become more mainstream in European debate. The likely evolution is not a single unified bloc, but a recomposition of the European right, with nationalist parties seeking greater influence through cooperation, parliamentary leverage, and national governing participation.

Frequently asked questions

Is Identity and Democracy left-wing or right-wing? Identity and Democracy was right-wing, specifically a far-right / radical-right European parliamentary group.

What ideology does Identity and Democracy have? It is associated with nationalism, Euroscepticism, right-wing populism, anti-immigration politics, and national-conservative positions.

What does Identity and Democracy stand for? It stands for national sovereignty, stricter immigration control, resistance to deeper EU integration, and defense of national identity and traditions.

Which parties were in Identity and Democracy? Its main members included France’s National Rally and Italy’s League, alongside parties from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and others.

Was Identity and Democracy in government? No. It was a European Parliament group, not a governing executive, and it remained outside the main pro-EU parliamentary majority.

Does Identity and Democracy still exist? The 2019–2024 parliamentary group no longer exists in that form, but many of its member parties and ideas remain active in European politics.