Leaders of far-right political parties in the European Union gathered in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of consolidating the divided right wing after their successes in key national arenas during the European elections. This was reported by Euronews, UNN reported .
Details
Marine Le Pen from France, whose National Rally party became the largest group in the European Parliament with 30 seats in last week's elections, met with Matteo Salvini, leader of the Italian far-right League, within the framework of the Identity and Democracy group.
The talks are expected to involve Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), which recently formed a coalition in the Netherlands; Tom Van Grieken, head of the Belgian Flemish Interest; Andre Ventura, leader of the Portuguese party Chega ("Enough! "), as well as representatives of far-right parties from the Czech Republic, Austria and Denmark. The League in its statement emphasized that Salvini and Le Pen discussed the unification of the ‘right-wing centrists’ Europe, although their parties are seen as radical and nationalist.
Before the summit meetings, André Ventura, whose Chega party made a splash on the Portuguese political scene during the last snap elections, noted that while Identity and Democracy is already established as a group, it is also looking to expand.
Identity and Democracy is engaged in broader negotiations to form a large right-wing bloc to fight corruption, to fight illegal immigration, and to control our borders. If these negotiations lead to a successful outcome, we will be ready to participate. If not, we will be very happy to be in the VD group
Currently, far-right parties in the European Parliament are divided into two main factions: The EP and the hardline European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which includes parties such as the Brothers of Italy under the leadership of Georgia Maloney and the Spanish Vox party. Although they did not gain the expected strength in the recent European elections, the union of these two groups could turn them into the third or even second largest force in the European Parliament.
A few days before the European elections, Marine Le Pen in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera expressed her intention to seek support from the Italian Prime Minister to create a far-right supergroup, uniting her VD group with the Conservatives under Maloney's leadership. Such a move could be risky for Meloni, who has close ties to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and her ability to maintain her influence in the EU could be jeopardized if she opens the door to more radical elements.
In addition, French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to call early elections has added considerable weight, as Marine Le Pen is considering controlling the National Assembly and appointing her 28-year-old protégé, Jordan Bardelle, as Prime Minister of France, which could give Le Pen's National Rally additional incentives to create a far-right supergroup.
The Fidesz party led by Viktor Orbán, which remains politically homeless in the European Parliament, could strengthen the potential supergroup by an additional 11 seats.
Recall
The European Union has issued new 15-year bonds amid uncertainty over the classification of its debt and a surge in far-right parties that has undermined investor confidence in the French economy.