In the European Parliament, the National Rally joins the new far-right group
Attila Kispendić / AFP
Marine Le Pen and Viktor Orban here during a joint press conference in Budapest, Hungary, October 26, 2021.
International – It is not only in the National Assembly that the National Rally is in the forefront. On Monday, July 8, the French far-right party will officially join the new nationalist group “Patriots for Europe” in Brussels, launched by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the European Parliament.
Jordan Bardella will chair the new group, which will become the third political force after the political families of Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron, French and Italian MEPs announced. They were speaking before a meeting in Brussels to formalize the constitution of the group, which will bring together several far-right groups and should have more than 80 members, including 30 from the National Front, its largest delegation in terms of numbers.
The rally comes the day after the French legislative elections, in which the National Front made less than expected progress and failed to secure a majority.
Matteo Salvini's Italian League also reported on Monday that he was involved in the group, which brings together far-right and nationalist groups.
“Our MEPs will play their full part tomorrow (Monday) in a large group that will influence the balance of power in Europe to reject the invasion of migrants, the punitive environment and the confiscation of our sovereignty.”For his part, Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally party, indicated on Sunday evening, without further details.
30 Members of the European Parliament
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán revealed on June 30 his intention to form this parliamentary group, in coordination with the far-right Austrian FPÖ party and the movement of former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Viktor Orbán has shown his ambition to make a different voice heard: against military support for Ukraine, against ” Illegal immigration “ for “traditional family”.
Since then, five parties from different countries have announced their own grouping: the Dutch Freedom Party led by Geert Wilders, the Portuguese Chega movement, the Spanish Vox party, and – since Saturday – the Danish People's Party and the far-right Flemish separatist Vlaams Belang.
This will be joined by the National Rally party, whose delegation includes 30 MEPs, and Matteo Salvini's League, which has eight elected representatives.
“We are getting stronger every day: the National Front party joins our political group “Patriots for Europe”. Welcome French patriots! »Hungarian Foreign Minister Tristan Azbej received on Monday, the 10th of this month.
The National Rally will de facto take the lead in this new group in terms of numbers – Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party itself has only about ten seats. With the latest rallies, the parliamentary group will bring together delegations from 10 member states (it needed at least seven to be present) and no fewer than 79 MEPs.
It should therefore establish itself as a third force in the European Parliament behind the pro-European right (EPP) and the Social Democrats (S&D), overtaking the liberal Renewal Party (76 seats), the group to which French President Emmanuel Macron’s party belongs. Macron belongs to the far-right ECR group linked to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (78 seats).
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