Greens reject Beppe Grillo’s offer to team up / UKIP’s Farage forms new grouping in European Parliament / New EFD Group formed in the European Parliament. ‘We will be the peoples’ voice’ says UKIP Leader Nigel Farage

On the 4 June 2014, the Greens in the European Parliament turned down an offer from Italy’s Five Star movement leader and former comedian Beppe Grillo to join the group.

The Greens rejected the offer because Mr. Grillo was said to be in the final phase of an agreement to join Nigel Farage’s eurosceptic political group, the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD).

Open Europe reported on the 13 June 2014 that it looked as the Five-Star Movement would try to form an alliance with UKIP in the new European Parliament. This followed an online survey of Five-Star members and activists which showed that 78% of votes went for Nigel Farage's EFD group.

This was confirmed on the 18 June 2014, while it also announced that a former French National Front MEP Joelle Bergeron, haa joined Nigel Farage’s Europe of Freedom and Democracy group in the European Parliament.

As a result the EFD had enough MEPs from enough EU Member States to formally become a European Parliament Political Group.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Le Pen gathers allies for new far-right EP group / European elections: Nationalists look to build alliances http://www.europeansources.info/record/le-pen-gathers-allies-for-new-far-right-ep-group-european-elections-nationalists-look-to-build-alliances/

ESO: Background information: Three men to shape Italy's EU election campaign [Italy and the European elections 2014] http://www.europeansources.info/record/three-men-to-shape-italys-eu-election-campaign-italy-and-the-european-elections-2014/

EUObserver, 05.06.14: Green MEPs split on whether to woo Grillo deputies http://euobserver.com/institutional/124507

Blog: Open Europe, 13.06.14: Grillo joins Farage, but UKIP's group in the European Parliament is not a done deal yet http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/grillo-joins-farage-but-ukips-group-in.html

Euronews, 13.06.14: Italy’s Five Star chooses UKIP for European Parliament alliance http://www.euronews.com/2014/06/13/italy-sfive-starchoosesukipforeuropeanparliamentalliance/

Website: Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group in the European Parliament http://www.efdgroup.eu/index.php

BBC News, 18.06.14: UKIP's Farage forms new grouping in European Parliament http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27907586

EurActiv, 18.06.14: Le Pen candidate joins Farage's new EFD group http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/le-pen-candidate-joins-farages-new-efd-group-302906

EurActiv, 12.06.14: Lithuanians vow to stick by Farage and EFD http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/lithuanians-vow-stick-farage-and-efd-302769

Blog: Open Europe, 17.06.14: Farage suffers another defection: can he still put together a group in the European Parliament? http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/farage-suffers-another-defection-can-he.html

UKIP: Press Release, 18.06.14: New EFD Group formed in the European Parliament. 'We will be the peoples’ voice' says UKIP Leader Nigel Farage http://www.ukip.org/new_efd_group_formed_in_european_parliament_we_will_be_the_peoples_voice_says_ukip_leader_nigel_farage

Blog: Open Europe, 19.06.14: Farage wraps up his European Parliament group faster than Le Pen...thanks to a Front National defector! http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/farage-wraps-up-his-european-parliament.html

EUObserver, 20.06.14: British eurosceptic cobbles together mixed EP group http://euobserver.com/institutional/124667

openDemocracy: Can Europe Make It?, 03.07.14: The Grillo-Farage connection http://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/edoardo-quadri/grillofarage-connection

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