Europe Votes to Confront the Muslim Brotherhood

Summary #

In short: on 8 October 2026 the European Parliament voted 381 to 167, with 15 abstentions, for a non-binding resolution asking the EU to counter Islamist entryism and tighten checks on EU funding to Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups. It bans no one and cuts no funding; the Muslim Brotherhood is not listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU.¹

On 8 October 2026, the European Parliament voted by a clear majority to adopt a resolution calling for an EU-wide strategy to counter the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist networks. The resolution asks EU member states to consider adding Brotherhood-linked groups to the EU terrorist list, calls for tighter checks on European Union funding to prevent taxpayer money going to Islamist organisations, and names specific groups accused of proximity to the Brotherhood.

The vote marks a shift in Europe's approach to the Islamist question. For two decades, European institutions focused on counter-terrorism and the prosecution of jihadist violence. The October 8 resolution confronts a different threat: the gradualist, non-violent strategy of Islamisation through education, charity, community organising and political influence. France's government described it in 2025 as "Islamisation from below."

The resolution is not binding and does not itself ban any organisation or cut any funding. But it shows that a majority of the European Parliament—across the centre-right, liberal and right-wing groups—now accepts that organised Islamism operates in Europe with public money and wants action to stop it.

Key facts #

The European Parliament voted 381 to 167 on 8 October 2026 to adopt a resolution calling for an EU strategy to counter the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood network. Fifteen MEPs abstained.¹
European Union institutions channelled approximately €50 million to organisations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the UK between 2004 and 2020, according to reports cited in the resolution debate.²
Islamic Relief Worldwide received more than €40 million in EU funding since 2007.³
France's 2025 government report identified 139 places of worship affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood network in France, plus 68 "close" to it, serving about 91,000 Friday worshippers, along with 21 schools educating 4,200 students.⁴
France's Interior Ministry identified the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) in May 2024 as a "training structure for high-potential leaders within the Muslim Brotherhood movement."⁵
France's National Assembly voted 157 to 101 in January 2026 to back a resolution calling on the European Union to list the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation.⁶
Austria announced plans in September 2026 to ban "political Islam" and potentially prohibit the Muslim Brotherhood from operating in the country.⁷

What happened this week #

On 8 October 2026, the European Parliament in Strasbourg voted 381 to 167, with 15 abstentions, to adopt a resolution entitled "The need for an EU strategy to counter Islamist entryism and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood network."¹ The resolution reference is B10-0424/2026.

The resolution calls on the European Commission and EU member states to:

Develop a strategy to counter Islamist entryism and the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in Europe.
Tighten checks on EU funding to prevent taxpayer money going to organisations linked to political Islam.
Provide a comprehensive overview of all EU funding delivered to entities suspected of links with the Muslim Brotherhood, including the amounts awarded and the "failure of control" that led to the awarding of such funds.
Assess whether Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups and individuals should be added to the EU's joint list of terrorist organisations.
Exclude the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) from European institutions, citing its alleged proximity to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The resolution warns that "separatism, victimhood, antisemitism, hatred of Israel, conspiracy narratives, challenges to secularism, and the use of religion to contest gender equality may constitute markers of Islamist influence."⁸

Who voted for it. The resolution received support from the European People's Party (EPP), the liberal Renew group, and right-wing parties including the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and other groups. The Socialists & Democrats, the Greens and left-wing members voted against it, with some characterising it as targeting anti-discrimination work and stigmatising Muslims generally.⁹

What is the Muslim Brotherhood and what do they want in Europe? #

The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna. Its stated aim is to establish societies governed by Islamic law. Unlike jihadist groups such as Islamic State, the Brotherhood does not seek power through violent revolution. Its method is gradualist: preaching, education, charity, community organising and political influence. The UK government's 2015 review of the Brotherhood described it as preferring "non violent incremental change… often on the basis that political opposition will disappear when the process of Islamisation is complete."¹⁰

What its leaders have said. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the most influential cleric of the Muslim Brotherhood tradition until his death in 2022, wrote in a 2002 fatwa that Islam "will return to Europe as a conqueror and victor" after being expelled twice—a reference to the end of Muslim rule in Spain in 1492 and the Ottoman retreat from the gates of Vienna in 1683. He added that the conquest "will not be by the sword but by preaching and ideology."¹¹

That statement captures the Brotherhood's strategy in Europe: not bombs, but mosques, schools, charities, and political representation. The aim is the same as that of violent jihadists—a Europe under Islamic law—but the method is patient.

France's 2025 report. A report commissioned by the French government and presented to its Defence Council in May 2025 describes the Brotherhood's strategy in France as "islamisation par le bas", Islamisation from below. It works through what the report calls "entryism" (working to gain influence within institutions) and a "double discours", or double discourse: presenting a moderate, civic-minded message in public while pursuing a different agenda internally.⁴

The report counted a sworn inner circle of 400 to 1,000 members in France, 139 places of worship affiliated to the Brotherhood-linked network plus 68 "close" to it (about 7% of France's 2,800 Muslim places of worship), serving about 91,000 Friday worshippers, 280 associations, and 21 schools with 4,200 pupils.⁴ It concluded that the threat, "even if it is long-term and does not involve violent action," poses a risk to "the fabric of society and republican institutions."⁴

Britain's 2015 review. The UK government's review of the Muslim Brotherhood, led by Sir John Jenkins and delivered in 2015, found that the Brotherhood in Britain exerted an influence "disproportionate to their size" and that there were "significant differences" between the Brotherhood's communications in English and in Arabic.¹⁰ The review found the Brotherhood was "prepared to countenance violence… where gradualism is ineffective," though it found no sign that the Brotherhood itself still openly promoted an Islamic state in Britain.¹⁰ In December 2025, the British Prime Minister said a ban on the Muslim Brotherhood was "under very close review."¹²

"The Project." A 1982 strategy paper found in a 2001 police raid in Switzerland sets out a phased plan for what it calls the "Islamic movement" towards "establishing an Islamic government on earth." The plan includes working within institutions, influencing centres of power and building Islamic organisations.¹³ The document's authorship is unknown, and no one has shown it was formally adopted by the Brotherhood. But its themes match what the French and British reviews later documented.

Which groups are accused of Brotherhood links? #

The European Parliament resolution names several organisations and calls for greater scrutiny of their alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. The accusations are contested, and the organisations named have issued strong denials.

FEMYSO. The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) is a pan-European Islamic organisation based in Brussels, representing 32 Muslim youth organisations across 22 European countries. The October 2026 resolution calls for FEMYSO's exclusion from European institutions. France's Interior Ministry identified FEMYSO in a May 2024 report as a "training structure for high-potential leaders within the Muslim Brotherhood movement."⁵ The European Parliament excluded FEMYSO from its activities in 2026 after 33 parliamentarians demanded its removal, citing documentation linking it to radical Islam and noting that FEMYSO serves as an umbrella for organisations including the Islamic Community Millî Görüş—Youth and Students, which German intelligence considers an antisemitic movement.¹⁴

FEMYSO has denied the allegations, accusing critics of "recycling allegations and narratives that have been repeatedly debunked."¹⁴ In a joint press statement with other civil-society groups, FEMYSO condemned the resolution as part of "a coordinated far-right strategy to silence anti-racism voices."¹⁵

Islamic Relief Worldwide. Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is a charity that has received more than €40 million in EU funding since 2007.³ The resolution debate cited the charity's close ties with Hamas through Islamic Relief Palestine and the Gaza Zakat Committee, a Hamas-led charity, as well as statements from individuals associated with the charity that led its entire board to resign.³ Germany handed millions of euros to the charity despite the allegations.¹⁶ Islamic Relief has not been banned and continues to receive public funding in some European countries.

European Network Against Racism (ENAR). ENAR received €23 million in EU funding from 2007 to 2020 and was previously led by Michaël Privot, described as "a former sworn member of the Muslim Brotherhood who later denounced his affiliation."¹⁷ ENAR has categorically rejected the allegations, stating that they are "sham allegations and falsehoods seeking to associate our network with the Muslim Brotherhood" and characterising the resolution as "racist and Islamophobic."¹⁸ ENAR recently lost its EU structural funding.¹⁸

The Council of European Muslims. The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), now called the Council of European Muslims, was founded by the Muslim Brotherhood in 1989 and is based in Brussels.¹⁹ It claims to represent "hundreds of member organizations spread across 28 European States." The organisation created the European Council for Fatwa and Research, and its subsidiaries include FEMYSO and the European Institute for Human Sciences.¹⁹ Funding for the FIOE has been derived largely from Gulf sources, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and the Waqf Ministry in Kuwait.¹⁹

How much EU money has gone to these groups? #

The European Parliament resolution calls on the European Commission to provide a "comprehensive overview" of all EU funds delivered to entities suspected of links with the Muslim Brotherhood, including the amounts awarded, the recipients' roles, and the "failure of control" that allowed such funding.²⁰

Reports and parliamentary debates cite the following figures:

Approximately €50 million went to organisations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the UK between 2004 and 2020.²
Islamic Relief Worldwide and its local branches received more than €40 million in EU funding since 2007.³
The European Network Against Racism received €23 million from 2007 to 2020.¹⁷
Total funding to Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organisations since 2004 is estimated at approximately €80 million.²

The money came through EU programmes for social inclusion, anti-discrimination, youth engagement, development aid and humanitarian relief. The organisations that received it operated as charities and civil-society groups, presenting themselves as representatives of Muslim communities in Europe. Critics say the EU failed to scrutinise the ideology and affiliations of the groups it funded. The organisations themselves say they are legitimate civil-society actors and that the allegations against them are politically motivated.

In May 2025, the EU faced an ultimatum from members of the European Parliament to review its funding policies after the reports emerged.²¹ In October 2026, the Parliament's resolution formalised that demand, calling for a full accounting of where EU money has gone.

What are EU member states doing? #

Individual EU member states have taken their own steps, with France and Austria leading the response.

France. France's National Assembly endorsed a resolution on 22 January 2026 calling for the European Union to list the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. The resolution passed 157 votes to 101 and described the Brotherhood as "a global ideological threat to the fundamental principles of the EU."⁶ France's interior minister proposed in 2026 a new law to dissolve associations for "entryism" and freeze their assets.²² Benjamin Haddad, France's Junior Minister for Europe, met with Austria's Minister for Europe, Claudia Plakolm, to forge a common position and expose organisations "close to radical Islam" that have benefitted from European funding.³

Austria. The Austrian government announced plans in September 2026 to prohibit "political Islam" and potentially ban groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood from operating in the country.⁷ Austria's minister for integration said she would present an initial outline for a constitutional ban to coalition partners.⁷

United Kingdom. The UK conducted a review of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2015 but has not banned the organisation. In December 2025, the Prime Minister said a ban was "under very close review."¹² No further action has been announced.

Countries that have banned the Brotherhood. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Russia have all designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. The United States designated the Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organisations in 2026.²³

The Muslim Brotherhood is not currently listed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union. The October 2026 resolution asks member states to assess whether it should be, but does not itself impose a ban.

What the resolution means #

The European Parliament's resolution is non-binding. It does not ban any organisation, cut any funding, or add anyone to a terrorist list. Those decisions rest with the European Commission, the Council of the European Union (the member states), and national governments.

What the resolution does is set a political direction. A clear majority of the European Parliament—381 MEPs from the centre-right, liberal and right-wing groups—has now stated that the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in Europe is a problem, that EU money should not go to organisations linked to it, and that member states should consider listing it as a terrorist organisation.

The vote marks a shift in how Europe talks about the Islamist question. For two decades the focus was on violent jihadism: the attacks, the plots, the prosecutions, and the foreign fighters. The October 8 resolution confronts a different challenge—the patient, institutional strategy of Islamist movements that operate openly, present themselves as civil-society groups, and receive public money.

Opposition to the resolution. The Socialists & Democrats, the Greens and the left opposed the resolution. They argued that it risks criminalising everyday activism, stigmatising Muslims as a group, and silencing legitimate anti-racism and anti-discrimination work. Some MEPs and civil-society groups characterised the resolution as "racist," "Islamophobic," and part of a far-right agenda.⁹¹⁵

The question the resolution raises—whether European democracy should fund organisations working, however gradually, to replace it—will not be settled by one vote. But the October 8 resolution shows that a majority of the European Parliament thinks the answer is no.

Since this briefing #

Added 23 October 2026; the account above is unchanged. A search on 23 October 2026 found no reported decision by the Council of the EU on the Parliament's request to assess terrorist listings; coverage still describes the matter as awaiting the Council.²⁴ The vote itself is confirmed at 381 for, 167 against and 15 abstentions on 8 October 2026.²⁵ The funding totals above come from advocacy and party-group reports (the ECR Group's research and a Middle East Forum-reported study), not from an official EU audit, so treat them as contested claims; the resolution itself asks the Commission for the audited overview.²

Frequently asked questions #

What is the Muslim Brotherhood?

The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928. It seeks to establish societies governed by Islamic law, using a gradualist strategy of preaching, education, charity and political influence rather than violent revolution. Its most influential cleric, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, said Islam would return to Europe 'as a conqueror and victor' through 'preaching and ideology,' not the sword.

Is the Muslim Brotherhood banned in Europe?

The Muslim Brotherhood is not banned EU-wide. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia have banned it. The United States designated its Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese branches as terrorist organisations in 2026. France's National Assembly voted 157-101 in January 2026 to ask the EU to list it as a terrorist organisation, and Austria announced plans in September 2026 to ban 'political Islam.' The UK government said in December 2025 that a ban is 'under very close review.'

What is Islamist entryism?

Entryism is the strategy of gradually infiltrating institutions, political parties, charities and civil-society groups to influence them from within. France's 2025 government report on the Muslim Brotherhood describes it as 'Islamisation from below,' working through mosques, schools, associations and community bodies while presenting a moderate face in public and a different message internally.

How much EU money went to Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups?

Reports claim approximately €50 million went to organisations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the UK between 2004 and 2020. Islamic Relief Worldwide received more than €40 million in EU funding since 2007, and the European Network Against Racism received €23 million from 2007 to 2020. The October 2026 European Parliament resolution calls for a 'comprehensive overview' of all such funding.

What does the European Parliament resolution do?

The October 8, 2026 resolution is non-binding but calls on the European Commission and EU member states to develop a strategy to counter Islamist entryism, tighten checks on EU funding to prevent money going to Islamist organisations, and assess whether Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups should be added to the EU terrorist list. It passed 381 to 167.

Sources #

European Parliament vote, 8 October 2026. Resolution B10-0424/2026, "The need for an EU strategy to counter Islamist entryism and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood network." Reported by Middle East Forum, Sigmalive English, Al Arabiya English, and Civic Space Watch. ↩
Funding estimates reported in Middle East Forum report and The European Conservative, citing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group research. ↩
Islamic Relief funding reported in Israel Hayom and The National. ↩
French government report, May 2025, on Muslim Brotherhood entryism in France. Reported in Fighting Islamists: Europe, citing French government statements and media coverage. ↩
France Interior Ministry report, May 2024, identifying FEMYSO. Reported in Middle East Forum. ↩
French National Assembly vote, 22 January 2026. Reported in The National and The Jerusalem Post. ↩
Austria's plans announced September 2026. Reported in Organiser and Breitbart. ↩
Resolution text reported in Sigmalive English and Civic Space Watch. ↩
Voting breakdown and opposition reported in Civic Space Watch and EUobserver. ↩
UK government review of the Muslim Brotherhood, 2015 (Jenkins review). Cited in Fighting Islamists: Europe. ↩
Yusuf al-Qaradawi's 2002 fatwa quoted in Fighting Islamists: Europe. ↩
UK Prime Minister statement, December 2025. Cited in Fighting Islamists: Europe. ↩
"The Project" document found in 2001 police raid in Switzerland. Cited in Fighting Islamists: Europe. ↩
FEMYSO exclusion from European Parliament and allegations reported in Middle East Forum and Wikipedia: FEMYSO. ↩
FEMYSO joint press statement reported in FEMYSO website. ↩
Germany funding to Islamic Relief reported in Breitbart. ↩
ENAR funding and leadership reported in Middle East Forum and Israel Hayom. ↩
ENAR statement reported in ENAR press statement and ENAR statement on allegations. ↩
Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe / Council of European Muslims reported in Wikipedia: Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe and ECR Group report: The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. ↩
Resolution call for funding overview reported in The National. ↩
EU ultimatum reported in The National, May 2025. ↩
France's proposed law to dissolve associations for entryism cited in Fighting Islamists: Europe. ↩
US designation of the Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood branches, 13 January 2026 (Lebanon as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; Egypt and Jordan as Specially Designated Global Terrorists). Reported in Al Jazeera and The Times of Israel. ↩
Search of 23 October 2026 for a Council response; coverage includes The National and EU Reporter, 12 October 2026. ↩
Vote record: HowTheyVote.eu, and analysis of the vote by CERIF. ↩

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Europe votes to confront the Muslim Brotherhood