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Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kicker (FPÖ), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) and former Czech leader Andrej Babiš (ANO) announced on Sunday (June 30) a new political alliance called “European Patriots” that aims to reshape EU institutions and change the bloc’s approach to immigration, green policies and the war in Ukraine.
The alliance, made up of populist parties from the three countries, seeks to form a new political grouping in the European Parliament by July 15, to coincide with a constituency meeting in Strasbourg.
The three founding parties won a total of 24 MEPs in the recent EU elections. They therefore meet one of the conditions for forming a group in the European Parliament. A minimum of 23 MEPs is required to form a group.
However, MEPs need to come from at least seven different member states. Therefore, they need to convince political parties in at least four other European countries to form the group and have Influencing policy making.
Since the EU elections, several right-wing parties have rushed to redraw the political lines in the European Parliament, but the outcome is still unclear.
In recent days, there has been speculation that Marine Le Pen’s National Rally could break away from its current Identity and Democracy (ID) group and join Another AllianceThe future of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which recently broke away from ID, is also uncertain. uncertain Because it is looking for new partners within the EU.
Central to the Alliance of European Patriots’ platform is the defence of national sovereignty against what they see as excessive intervention by Brussels. “We must strengthen the sovereignty of each member state,” declared Czech leader Babis, criticising what he sees as centralist tendencies and the federal structure dominated by Brussels.
Herbert Kickel stressed the need to return power from Brussels to the member states and advocated a significant reduction in the EU’s central authority.
“We want a Europe that is truly subsidiarity-oriented and clearly committed to promoting diversity on the continent,” he said.
The vision involves reducing the size of the EU government and parliament and reducing the number of EU commissioners by at least a third.
‘We want a much smaller parliament’
Kickel has proposed a comprehensive reform of EU institutions, including a significant reduction in the size of the European Parliament.
“We would like the European Parliament to be significantly smaller, about the size of the U.S. House of Representatives,” he suggested, noting that the current European Parliament has 720 seats, while the U.S. House of Representatives has only 435 members.
Orban highlighted resistance to such changes from the “Brussels elite” but stressed the coalition’s commitment to pushing through these reforms. “The Brussels elite are resisting… They don’t want change; they want to maintain the status quo. This is unacceptable,” he declared.
In contrast, some member states have called for EU reforms to strengthen the union and protect it from Orban’s frequent vetoes – especially on foreign policy issues, where Hungary has often blocked EU aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. Implementing institutional reforms within the EU requires unanimous agreement from all member states, making such changes difficult to achieve.
‘Europeans want peace’
Immigration is another prominent issue facing the new political alliance, with all three leaders condemning current EU policies. “We are determined to truly address the problem of illegal immigration. The recently adopted EU package needs to be revised,” Babis claimed, stressing the need for tough measures to protect the EU’s external borders, dismantle smuggling networks, and speed up the deportation of those who have no right to stay in Europe.
“Each country must have the right to decide independently who will live and work there,” he insisted.
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is high on the coalition’s agenda. Viktor Orban has criticised the Brussels elite’s handling of the situation, arguing that their approach has led to unnecessary escalation and instability. “There is a war in our neighbourhood, we cannot prevent it from breaking out, and once it breaks out we cannot stop it,” Orban lamented.
He stressed the alliance’s commitment to peace and stability in the region and criticized the current EU leadership for failing to manage conflicts effectively. “Europeans want three things: peace, order and development. What they get from the current elite in Brussels is war, immigration and stagnation,” Orban said.
Despite Russia’s aggressive policies towards Ukraine, Orban’s Fidesz party has maintained ties with Russia, while Kicker’s Austrian Freedom Party has pro-Russian ties. Notably, Karin Kneissl, former Austrian Foreign Minister and member of the Austrian Freedom Party, is known for dancing with Vladimir Putin at her wedding and for moving to Russia last year. Meanwhile, Babis is an active advocate of a “peaceful solution” and often questions the delivery of weapons to Ukraine.
Modifying the Green Deal
League leaders have also been united in criticising the EU’s Green Deal, which they say undermines economic competitiveness and threatens prosperity.
Babis called for a revision of the Green Deal to propose a more balanced approach that supports sustainable economic development without placing an undue burden on industry. “Our group wants a balanced environmental policy that supports sustainable economic development,” he said.
Kickel echoed that sentiment, arguing that current policies are leading to industrialization and economic decline. “Instead, we need a Europe that can fulfill the original goals of European cooperation and revitalize it,” he said.
(Editing by Aurélie Pugnet / Chris Powers)
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