Brussels – It is the end of Identity and Democracy and the beginning of Patriots for Europe. The new far-right group in the European Parliament established today has already become the third largest by number of members, surpassing on the day of its constitution the Liberals of Renew Europe (76) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (78), behind only the Populars (188) and the Social Democrats (136). The political creature of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, as of today (July 8), can rely on 84 members of 14 national parties from 12 member countries, including Italy. It will be the League that will represent it, with newly elected Roberto Vannacci among the six Vice-Presidents behind the first President of Patriots for Europe, the leader of France’s sovereignist right-wing Rassemblement National, Jordan Bardella, who last night (July 7) saw the chance to become the new head of the French government fade away and will now remain in Brussels to lead the Sovereignist front.
The constitutive meeting of Patriots for Europe, held this afternoon in an EU Parliament chamber (both Bardella and Vannacci were absent), formalized what became clear in the last week: the end of the experience of the Identity and Democracy Group–born after the 2019 elections from the ashes of Europe of Nations and Freedom– with the exit of all its members and the entry (with the exception only of the Czech MEP from Freedom and Direct Democracy) into the new Sovereignist formation: the 30 French members of the National Rally, the 8 Italians of Leagie, the 2 Portuguese members of Chega, the 6 Dutch members of the Party for Freedom (PVV), the 3 Belgians of Vlaams Belang, and the Danish People’s Party member. In addition to the elected members of the three founding parties – the 10 Hungarians of Fidesz (first among the non-aligned), the 7 Czechs of ANO 2011 (formerly of Renew Europe), and the 6 Austrians of the Austrian Freedom Party (the first to leave ID) – there are also the 6 Spaniards of Vox (who exited the ECR were decisive for Patriots for Europe tp overtake the conservative right-wing group), the Hungarian György Hölvényi of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (formerly of the EPP and close ally of Orbán) the newly elected so far without parliamentary group membership: the Czechs of Oath and Motorists (2), the Greeks of Voice of Reason (1) and First Latvia (1).
“We want to provide a European alternative, not an alternative to Europe,” the group’s first vice-chairwoman, Hungarian Kinga Gál (Fidesz), claimed at a press conference at the end of the constituent meeting, outlining a political manifesto hinged on “defending Judeo-Christian roots” and “combating illegal immigration” and leaving “doors open to those who want to come in, we will seek alliances with right-wing forces that share our values.” But in a European right-wing camp increasingly divided and quarrelsome increase in membership means either fishing among the non-members (27 MEPs) and the newly elected (32), or going for more tripping over Giorgia Meloni‘s conservative right, who now remains at the head of a group that relies on its 24 MEPs from Fratelli d’Italia and 20 Poles from Law and Justice (PiS).
Those who have been and will remain excluded from Patriots for Europe are Germany’s radical right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which emerged strengthened from the June 6-9 European election test but still sidelined after the expulsion from ID in May. “AfD is trying to create its own group,” National Rally MEP, Jean-Paul Garraud, told the press, making clear the project of the new group ‘The Sovereignists’ even further to the right. A formation led by AfD that a host of small and micro-extremist parties excluded by Patriots for Europe could join in these hours: from the pro-Russian and anti-European Bulgarians of Vazrazhdane (‘Rebirth’) to the Polish populist ultra-right of Konfederacja, to the Spanish populist movement Se Acabó La Fiesta (‘The Party is Over’), the Greek national-conservatives of Democratic Patriotic Movement – Victory (Nikh), the Romanian irredentists of S.O.S. Romania and the Hungarian Our Fatherland Movement, and the Slovak neo-fascists of Republika.
“Given the consensus that this group has received at the electoral level, and given the fact that there is interest from so many parties in this project anyway, now let’s take the calculator for a moment,” commented League MEP Paolo Borchia, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the constituent meeting of Patriots for Europe: “Let’s start making Patriots more Conservative, you will see that we get a number [162, editor’s note] that is very close to, if not even higher than that of the European People’s Party.” Hence the call for having “patterns that actually reflect what the voters asked for, this is the ABC of democracy.” A speech that also involves the issue of the confirmation vote of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the plenary session of the European Parliament on July 18: “As the League, we have expressed a judgment that is not positive about the work of this Commission. I hope all parties will be consistent with the messages given during the election campaign,” Borchia added.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
