The ongoing Qatargate corruption scandal, which began in December 2022, has destabilized the European Parliament following the arrest of several MEPs including Marc Tarabella, Andrea Cozzolino and Eva Kaili.

Among others, the case includes Francesco Giorgi, the parliamentary assistant of MEP Andrea Cozzolino, Pier Antonio Panzeri, founder of the Fight Impunity NGO; Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, head of the No Peace Without Justice NGO; and Luca Visentini, head of the International Trade Union Confederation.

[3][4] In January 2023, MEP Carlo Fidanza of Brothers of Italy was involved in a corruption investigation by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office for having made Brescia city councillor Giovanni Acri resign in order to get Giangiacomo Calovini elected, in exchange for the appointment of Acri's son as Fidanza's assistant in the European Parliament.

FdI did not shut it down since they wanted to help FI, whose future seemed uncertain after the death of Berlusconi, while Lega and IV declared themselves against the proposal.

The proposal was officially rejected in September when Forza Italia, fearing the centrist competition of Az and IV, refused to lower the electoral threshold.

He also praised Roberto Vannacci, an Italian Army general who became notorious in the summer of 2023 for writing a political book containing statements considered homophobic, racist, and sexist by some while on duty.

[112] On 22 January 2024, Calenda unveiled on the party website the first candidates for the election: MEP Giosi Ferrandino, Caterina Avanza, Alessio D'Amato, Cristina Lodi, Mario Raffaelli, and Giuseppe Zollino.

For his part, Antonio Tajani, the new leader of Forza Italia (FI) following the death of historic party leader Silvio Berlusconi in June 2023, criticized Salvini's idea, not considering an alliance with Marine Le Pen of the National Rally (RN), Geert Wilders of the Party for Freedom (PVV), and Alternative for Germany (AfD) possible.

[115][116] In an interview with ZDF on 6 August 2023, the EPP president Manfred Weber praised the Meloni government, suggesting a possible alliance with Brothers of Italy for the next election.

He drew a red line with three conditions to fulfill: the support for Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War, the willingness to build Europe and not destroy it, and the acceptance of the rule of law, denying at the same time an alliance with AfD, RN, or PiS; at the same time, Markus Söder, the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) leader, turned down any alliance with FdI.

[128] On 13 December 2023, the National Direction of +Eu approved talks with the other Italian liberal parties for a list supporting the United States of Europe.

[130] The manifesto was signed by individual people like Base Italia leader Marco Bentivogli,[131] Giusi Nicolini,[132] Sandro Gozi,[133] Nathalie Tocci, and Renato Soru,[134] and parties like IV.

[135] On 31 January 2024, Bonino published an article in Il Sole 24 Ore announcing a convention for the United States of Europe list open to all parties for 24 February 2024 in Rome.

[141] In November 2023, former Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno launched a right-wing party called Independence, saying he was thinking about running for the European Parliament election.

[142] In February 2024, television host Michele Santoro presented a left-wing list named Peace, Land, Dignity.