Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, along with former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Austrian Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl, announced Sunday the formation of a political alliance called Patriots for Europe and invited parties from other European Union countries to join. “A new group of parties is emerging that will change European politics,” Orban said.
– This is the day when the renewal of European policy began – he said Viktor Orbán at a joint press conference with the former prime minister Czech Andrej Babisz and the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPOe), Herbert Kickel.
Politicians adopted a “patriotic manifesto for the future of Europe” in Vienna, in which they criticize the current state of the EU and the creation of a centralized European state, advocating for a “Europe of strong, proud and independent nations.” The new political alliance is to focus on, among other things, combating illegal migration and EU climate policy.
A new alliance in the European Parliament
Orban, whose country takes over the six-month presidency of the EU Council on Monday, expressed hope that a new, strong party alliance would soon be formed in the European Parliament.
To form a group in the new EP, at least 23 MEPs from seven member states are needed. Fidesz together with the ally KDNP, he introduced 11 MEPs to the European Parliament, Babisz's ANO party – seven, and FPOe – six.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban European Union
After Fidesz MEPs left the European People's Party (EPP) in March 2021, Orban's party does not belong to any faction in the European Parliament. However, ANO left the liberal group in the EP Renew Europe.
The head of FPOe Kickl believes that more European parties will join the alliance announced on Sunday in Vienna in the coming days.
In the capital city Austria However, it was not stated with whom the negotiations are taking place and who may join the new group. In recent days, among others: the Hungarian press mentioned among the possible members of the new faction the Smer-SSD party of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of former Prime Minister Janez Jansza and Law and Justice.
PiS in a new faction?
In a Friday interview for the French daily “Le Figaro”, the former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki admitted that the chances of PiS joining the new faction are 50 percent. If such a group is formed, it could take up to 50 seats in the new European Parliament, Morawiecki added.
The political groups in the EP should be constituted by 4 July, and then the talks on filling the parliamentary committees are to begin in the European Parliament. The term of office of the new European Parliament will be officially inaugurated on 16 July during a plenary session in Strasbourg.
Main photo source: TOBIAS STEINMAURER/AFP/East News