Right-wing forces in the European Parliament are reorganising themselves. The new alliance around the party of Hungary’s Prime Minister Orban now has almost enough partners for group status.
The planned new group of right-wing parties of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the European Parliament is gaining more support. After the Spanish Vox, the Dutch radical right-wing party of Geert Wilders now also wants to join. Wilders announced this on X. “We want to join forces and will proudly join the Patriots for Europe,” wrote the head of the Party for Freedom (PVV).
Wilders’ party won the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands last November and is now the strongest partner in a far-right government coalition of four parties. In the European elections last month, the PVV won six seats in the EU Parliament.
So far, in addition to Vox, the Austrian FPÖ under party leader Herbert Kickl, the liberal-populist Czech ANO of Andrej Babis and the Portuguese Chega have announced their intention to join the new far-right group. With Wilders’ announcement, the new group would have members from six countries – membership of members from at least seven countries is required for group status in the European Parliament.
AfD sees itself as “connected in friendship”
AfD leader Alice Weidel ruled out the possibility of her party’s delegation joining the planned right-wing faction around Fidesz on Tuesday. They are in talks, but that is not an option at the moment. She spoke of a strategic long-term project.
“We are linked by friendship, we have incredible overlaps in terms of content, but both parties are subject to political and foreign policy and foreign trade constraints that we currently have to take into account,” said the AfD leader when asked whether her party was not wanted in the alliance.
If the “future head of government of Austria, Mr. Kickl,” decides to join forces with the Fidesz government in Hungary, it will be an alliance of the governing parties. “We have to do our homework ourselves first,” said Weidel. Elections will be held in Austria in the fall. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl could become the new chancellor. Orban, Kickl and Babis formed the “Patriots for Europe” alliance last weekend in Vienna.
The AfD leadership is secretly promoting the theory that the German government could prevent Orban, in his role as Hungarian head of government, from working with the AfD. There is talk of “blackmail potential”. This is happening behind the scenes, cannot be proven, but is not a conspiracy theory, they say.
Source: Stern
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