Fidesz, ANO, and Freedom Party form new right-wing group in European Parliament

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, former Czech Prime Minister and pro-Russian populist leader Andrej Babiš, and leader of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party Herbert Kickl announced the creation of a new right-wing alliance in the European Parliament called Patriots for Europe.

According to Viktor Orban, they are creating a political entity that “will very quickly become the largest faction of the European right.”

Prior to that, the European Conservatives and Reformists, led by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, had been refusing Orban’s Fidesz party’s long-term negotiations to join the soft Eurosceptics.

Hungarian Fidesz, ANO, and the Austrian Freedom Party have Eurosceptic and pro-Russian views, opposing aid to Ukraine and favoring “peace talks” with Russia.

Subsequently, the Portuguese right-wing radical party Chega! (“Enough”) announced its intention to join the new political group Patriots for Europe in the European Parliament, Telex reported.

The leader of the Chega! party, Andre Ventura, said that the political party could officially announce its joining the Patriots for Europe on July 3.

Founded in 2019, the Chega! party continues to grow in popularity. In the parliamentary elections in Portugal five years ago, they received one mandate, but in 2022, they already received 12.

In the European Parliament elections on June 9, the party received two mandates. Chega! drives its support by criticizing immigration, Islam, and “political correctness.”

The Italian right-wing radical party “League” of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini welcomed the formation of a new political group in the European Parliament, “Patriots for Europe,” which will include populist and far-right forces. 

“We would like to expand the range of strong, patriotic, united groups that oppose backroom deals… The League said in a statement that Matteo Salvini’s repeated calls for the formation of a large group to unite the patriots of Europe could no longer wait.

The German far-right AfD party noted that it saw “new opportunities” in the alliance of Orban, Babiš, and Kickl. However, earlier, due to a scandal over a prominent AfD politician’s remarks about the “SS,” the French far-right National Rally Party of Marine Le Pen withdrew from the alliance with the German far-right AfD.

The aforementioned parties have Eurosceptic and pro-Russian views. However, according to the results of the June elections to the European Parliament, a coalition of democratic, centrist, and liberal forces will retain the majority. The influence of right-wing radicals on EU decision-making will remain limited.