BREAKING NEWS

Lawmakers urge cutting EU funds for eurosceptics

BRUSSELS - Eurosceptic parties should not get European Union funds, the head of the largest group in the European Parliament proposed on Tuesday, a move that would strip parties like France's National Front and the UK Independence Party of millions of euros.
Euroscepticism is growing across the continent, alarming the continent's mainstream political parties, with the anti-EU forces looking set to win significant shares of the vote in Dutch elections on Wednesday and France's presidential election in April. Cutting their financial support would be one way to reduce their clout.
"The question is whether Europe is so stupid to fund its enemies," Manfred Weber, the chair of the conservative grouping in the European legislature, told reporters.
He said that his group has asked the president of the EU commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, to propose rules that would stop EU financing of eurosceptic parties. A spokeswoman for the European Commission declined to comment.