Far-right parties form Patriots for Europe group in European Parliament
In the European Parliament, a parliamentary group of far-right political forces has been formed (photo: Getty Images)
In the European Parliament, a new parliamentary group called Patriots for Europe will be formed, led by Jordan Bardella, the leader of the French far-right National Rally party, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro and the British edition The Guardian.
It is noted that the creation of such a group was initiated by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. It will include 80 deputies, making it the third-largest bloc in the European Parliament.
Patriots for Europe will consist of MEPs from 12 countries representing far-right parties in their respective states. Specifically, members will include:
- Marine Le Pen's National Rally from France,
- Viktor Orbán's Hungarian right-wing conservative party Fidesz,
- Austria's far-right Freedom Party,
- Geert Wilders' Dutch Party for Freedom,
- Greece's Voice of Reason,
- Spain's Vox party,
- Belgium's Flemish Interest, among others.
Participants of the new group met in Brussels to formalize the association's statute.
Interest in joining the new faction was also expressed by Italy's League led by Matteo Salvini, although their participation has not been confirmed.
Viktor Orbán announced his intention to create the Patriots of Europe group on June 30. He has secured sufficient support from various parties for its recognition in the European Parliament.
The alliance opposes military aid to Ukraine and advocates for conservative family values while maintaining a strict immigration policy within the EU.
Elections to the European Parliament
From June 6-9, citizens of EU countries elected a new European Parliament. In many countries, far-right political forces gained significantly more votes than in previous elections.
Notably, in France, the far-right party National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, emerged victorious in the elections.
In Germany, the election was won by the far-right pro-Russian party Alternative for Germany (AfD). This political force had previously announced its intention to form a parliamentary group in the European Parliament under the name Sovereigntists.
