Gunnar Beck is a German politician, academic, and lawyer, known for his role as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He also serves as the deputy leader of the AfD within the European Parliament and Vice-President of the Identity & Democracy Group.
Alongside his political career, Beck maintains an academic position as a reader in law at the SOAS, University of London.
Beck completed his education in philosophy, politics, and law at Oxford and London. He earned his doctorate under the supervision of Professor Sir Isaiah Berlin in 1996 at Nuffield College, Oxford.
Beck qualified as a barrister of the Inner Temple in 2000 and has worked for the international law firm Herbert Smith and as Deputy Legal Adviser (EU law) at the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. He has been teaching EU law at SOAS, University of London since 2005 and has previous teaching stints at Oxford University and the London School of Economics (LSE).
In his 2013 study, Beck critiques the European Court of Justice (ECJ), arguing that it has consistently favored European integration in its judgments, often expanding the scope of EU law beyond the treaties' directives and in absence of clear treaty authority. This work reflects his skepticism towards the ECJ's impartiality and its role in promoting an "ever closer union" among EU member states.
Beck was elected to the European Parliament in July 2019. He actively participates in several committees including the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on Legal Affairs, and the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
He is also a substitute member on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Subcommittee on Tax Matters. His political actions include a notable call in April 2021 for Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to resign due to her handling of the EU's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, which he labeled as "disastrous." Gunnar Beck remains a significant figure in both the academic and political spheres, marked by his critical approach to European legal and political frameworks, and his active role in shaping policy and debate within the European Parliament.
The Identity and Democracy Party (ID) is a political group active in the European Parliament, established on June 13, 2019, during the Ninth European Parliament term. Comprising nationalist, right-wing populist, and eurosceptic parties from ten European states, the ID group advocates for the sovereignty and identity of European nations and peoples.
The ID Group is made up of members from eight different Member States, with the majority hailing from Italy’s Lega party, the National Rally in France, and Germany’s AfD. The group stands as the fourth-largest in the European Parliament and is recognized for its far-right, anti-Muslim stances.
It succeeds the 2014 Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group, having emerged after the 2019 European Parliament elections.
The ID party prioritizes the preservation of national identities, staunchly opposing uncontrolled mass immigration and the potential EU accession of non-European countries like Turkey. It advocates for the right of each European nation to independently determine its policies without EU interference.
Central to their philosophy is the defense of state sovereignty against any supranational structures, emphasizing cooperation between nations rather than the creation of a supra-state model.
The ID group focuses on stimulating economic growth and job creation while also advocating for a reduction in EU bureaucracy. They emphasize national sovereignty in economic policy, advocating for member states to independently manage their economic policies based on national needs.
While not an economic policy per se, the ID group's emphasis on enhancing security and managing immigration is seen as a means to protect jobs and stimulate economic growth. They promote the defense of state and national sovereignty, opposing any supranational governance models.
The party is committed to defending individual freedoms, including digital rights, and emphasizes the preservation of European cultural heritage. They view the defense of culture as essential to all political action and are vocal in their criticism of what they perceive as the EU’s ultra-liberal and excessively bureaucratic tendencies.
The ID Party is critical of the European Union’s current practices, which they regard as overly liberal and bureaucratic. They advocate for a united Europe that respects the autonomy of its member states and refrains from internal interference.
The party's platform reflects a strong desire to return power to individual member states, allowing them to determine their own policies according to national needs.