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M. Continuo

Cameron's conservatives accept Germany's AfD into political bloc


    BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A conservative alliance in the European Parliament led by British Prime Minister David Cameron's party has voted to admit Germany's anti-euro AfD party into its bloc, putting Cameron at sharp odds with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

    Following a vote of its members, the European Conservatives and Reformists decided to accept Alternative fur Deutschland, which won seven seats in the European Parliament elections last month, into its political family, boosting its influence.

    "Welcome to the @AfD_Bund party which has joined the ECR Group this morning," the ECR announced on its Twitter feed.

    The decision will make life difficult for Cameron, who needs Merkel's support if he is to get the reforms in Europe he wants. Merkel's CDU party belongs to the largest centre-right group in the parliament, the European People's Party, which Cameron withdrew from in 2009, and the AfD opposes her Europe policy.

    (Reporting by Anna Nicolau; editing by Luke Baker)