Far-right leaders in Germany and France have outlined parallel plans to overhaul the European Union into a loose alliance of sovereign states, with weakened institutions and reduced central powers, as their parties gain electoral momentum.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD), presented her “New Deal for Europe” at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, a week after Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally, unveiled her own vision in Brussels. Both proposals call for remaining in the EU but stripping it of key powers, including abolishing the directly elected European Parliament in favor of national delegations and limiting the European Commission to administrative functions. Weidel also proposed replacing the European Court of Justice with an arbitration body for interstate disputes .

The parties, currently leading polls in their respective countries, share core positions: ending financial support for Ukraine, opposing deeper EU integration, and reducing national contributions to the bloc’s budget. Le Pen has proposed capping France’s net EU contribution at €5 billion annually, while Weidel’s AfD seeks opt-outs allowing Germany to bypass certain EU policies. However, they diverge on fiscal policy—Le Pen advocates harmonizing taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and large companies at the EU level, whereas AfD rejects any transfer of fiscal sovereignty to supranational bodies .

Both leaders framed their proposals as responses to economic pressures and migration concerns. Weidel criticized the EU’s handling of inflation and open borders, while Le Pen argued France’s public finances could no longer sustain aid to Kyiv, calling for an end to EU sanctions against Russia. Weidel, in a recent interview, declared Ukraine had “already lost the war” and pledged to halt German support for Kyiv .

The proposals come as AfD leads national polls in Germany, with projections of 27% to 30% support, and Le Pen polls at 34% to 38% in the first round of France’s 2027 presidential election. Christel Schaldemose, a Danish Social Democrat and European Parliament vice president, condemned AfD’s plan as a “frontal assault” on European democracy, warning that a weakened EU would benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin .