The new far-right bloc in the European Parliament, Patriots for Europedriven by the Hungarian Viktor Orban and Frenchwoman Marine Le Penwas launched on Monday with the aspiration of having the third largest parliamentary group in the European Parliament.
The new political bloc Patriots for Europe will be chaired by the French MEP Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally partywhich was relegated to third place in the French legislative elections on Sunday.
He Patriots for Europe bloc It had been promoted and implemented by Orban, although it was the adhesion of 30 MEPs from the National Grouping that propelled the group into one of the most important in the European Parliament.
The Patriots bloc thus overcomes the division between the two traditional far-right factions in the European Parliament, between the Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID) groups.
Spanish MEP Jorge Buxadé, from the Spanish group Vox, said at the launch that The new bloc is born with 84 legislators.
If that number is confirmed, the bloc of Patriots for Europe would be in a position to challenge Renew Europe (of liberals and centrists) for the status of third largest party.
The European People’s Party (EPP, right) continues to have the largest majority in the European Parliament, ahead of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D, social democrats).
On Monday, at the European Parliament, the parties that have confirmed their membership of the bloc concluded rapid negotiations to form their governing body, before formally launching the political group.
Hungarian MEP Kinga Gál elected first vice-president of the groupsaid that the “long-term objective is to change the way the EU does politics.”
In addition, the legislator said, the parties in the bloc are committed to working together “to preserve our indo-Christian roots.”
– Against Brussels –
“Today we are starting to work together with colleagues who are capable of taking a firm stance against the centralising and harmful decisions” of the EU in Brussels, he said.
In Gal’s opinion, “Europe’s patriots are those who love their countries and their heritage“We are not building an alternative for Europe, but a European alternative.”
Introducing the new leaders, French MEP Jean-Paul Garraud said it was a “historic meeting” to launch “a group that represents the sovereignist movement that we hold so dear.”
The Patriots for Europe bloc includes “12 nationalities and has 84 MEPs”but it is possible that “it will grow even more,” he added.
Spaniard Hermann Tersch, from the far-right Vox party, and Portuguese António Tânger Corrêa, from the Chega (“Enough!”) movement, were chosen from among the various vice-presidents of the new bloc.
After the European elections In June, Orban had announced his intention to promote a new far-right bloc in the European Parliament.
In particular, Orban did not hide his extreme irritation with an agreement between the EPP, S&D and Renew Europe to share out the top EU posts among themselves.
Le Pen, on the other hand, has been working for years – but so far without success – to unite the far right in the European Parliament and form a common front.
This bloc also strengthens the influence of Orban and Le Pen as spokespeople and representatives of the far right in the EU.
Following the European elections in June, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sought to establish herself as the leading name on the far right by lining up the ECR bloc behind her leadership, but that prominence now appears to be shifting in favour of the new group.
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