The Romanian members accuse Mussolini of insulting the Romanian people following her comments that breaking the law was "a way of life for Romanians".

The Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty (ITS) group was formed in January 2007 and included extreme-right MEPs from six countries. The group's dissolution means that parliamentary work becomes more difficult for those extremist politicians who formed the group.

"The dissolution of such a group - that ranged from Mr. Le Pen to Ms. Mussolini and everything that represented the extreme right and all its sinister connotations in certain member states is very good news. The task remains to create the conditions for the end of political influence for these movements in our respective societies" said GUE/NGL President Francis Wurtz today.