Push to ban EU left group over French riots

The vice chair of the European Parliament’s right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group began gathering signatures Friday to force a vote on asking the EU political-parties watchdog to investigate the European Left Alliance (ELA) for breaching EU values, according to an email seen by POLITICO. The process could ultimately lead to the deregistration and loss of EU funding — effectively a ban — for the ELA. It’s home to Spain’s Podemos, Denmark’s Enhedslisten, Italy’s Left and Portugal’s Bloco de Esquerda. The vote would take place in the plenary session on Oct. 19.