The lead candidates from eight of the nine political groupings in the European parliament kicked off the campaign for the June elections in Maastricht on Monday evening, in a live debate on some of the biggest issues facing the EU.

The debate, co-hosted by Politico Europe and Studio Europa, covered the Green Deal, the Israel-Hamas war, migration and social media among other issues, and provided several clashes, particularly over the rise of the far right. 

Almost all the candidates took turns to attack Anders Vistisen, leader of the far-right Identity and Democracy grouping at the European parliament which is set to grow in the June vote. 

Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout, who leads the Greens, accused the ID grouping of being riddled with Russian and Chinese influence.

“Maybe before you’re teaching everyone, clean up your own house,” Eickhout told Vistisen, who had earlier said the mainstream parties are exploiting the war in Ukraine as a “camouflage” to change the EU treaties and abolish the right to veto.

Read the Euronews report on the debate

 Read the Politico report on the debate

Watch the debate

Read the Guardian’s report on the debate

Vistisen later said that the ID grouping wants to sack ’10,000 bureaucrats” in Brussels and, he told Ursula von der Leyen, chairwoman of the European Commission and leader of the EPP grouping “we will start with you”. 

At the end of the 90 minute debate, the audience of 250 mainly youngsters, were asked to vote on who would be the best commission chairman or woman. Eickhout emerged as the winner.

What a debate 🇪🇺✨

And @BasEickhout the clear winner 💚

I was already convinced before, but now I am even more full of energy for the upcoming election campaign.

CHOOSE COURAGE.#MaastrichtDebate pic.twitter.com/GrrfIv0v10

— Terry Reintke (@TerryReintke) April 29, 2024