Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Hungarian PM Viktor Orban’s recent alliance of far-right parties achieved the threshold to initiate a political group in the EU Parliament. Notable members include Dutch anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s new far-right party alliance known as ‘Patriots for Europe’ in the EU Parliament has fulfilled the conditions to form a political group. To create the group, 23 MEPs from seven nations are needed. On Saturday, the group confirmed the membership of the far-right Danish People’s Party and the far-right Flemish Vlaams Belang, fulfilling the required threshold.
Who are the key members of Orban’s alliance?
The Hungarian nationalist leader declared his intention to form a new EU parliamentary group on June 30, pledging a “new era” that would “change European politics.” He pushed the statement in Strasbourg with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the centrist ANO of former Czech PM Andrej Babis. Since then, five other parties have stated they will join. They include the Party for Freedom (PVV) of Dutch anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders, Portugal’s far-right Chega group and Spain’s Vox party. Orban aims to become the chief hard-right force within the EU Parliament.
Will the National Rally join Orban’s group?
Viktor Orban, whose country maintains the rotating EU presidency as of July for six months, stated the parties would assemble in Brussels on Monday. By then he will understand if the French National Rally has determined to join forces with him after the ending of Sunday’s second round of French parliamentary elections. With 30 MEPs, the National Rally would be the biggest political force in the group if it chooses to join the “Patriots for Europe.”
If the National Rally enters, the “Patriots for Europe” would potentially evolve into the third largest parliamentary body, following the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) and the Social Democrats (SD). It would then even surpass the other right-wing group, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) of Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
What are the origins of ‘Patriots for Europe’?
Several of the parties joining Orban’s movement were earlier part of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which includes components of France’s National Rally. Babis’s ANO party defected from Renew Europe, which includes liberals and centrists. Vox is exiting the ECR movement, Orban’s main competitor as the dominant player in right-wing EU politics. Meanwhile, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which departed from the ID group before the European elections, has stated it does not see its place in the ranks of the new alliance around Orban.
What was the EU’s reaction to Orban meeting Putin?
On the other hand, Orbán, meanwhile, pulled a fresh denunciation from the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell following a session of the Organisation of Turkic States in Azerbaijan.
Orbán had a surprise engagement with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow about the Ukraine war. EU leaders quickly denounced the visit as not authorised by them and emphasised that Orbán was not representing Brussels.
“Orbán’s participation at an informal OTS summit in Azerbaijan was the latest event where he represented Hungary alone and not the EU”, Borrell stated. “Hungary has not obtained any mandate from the EU council to promote the relations with the Organisation of Turkic States.” Orbán has sparred with Brussels over his journeys.
