International

France's RN to lead new right-wing group at EU parliament

France's National Rally (RN) will lead the European Parliament's third-largest alliance, Patriots for Europe, forged by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the group announced on Monday, Reuters reports.

Reuters / Liderul extremei drepte franceze Marine Le Pen vorbește cu jurnaliștii după rezultatele parțiale din al doilea tur al alegerilor parlamentare anticipate din Franța
Sursa: Reuters / Liderul extremei drepte franceze Marine Le Pen vorbește cu jurnaliștii după rezultatele parțiale din al doilea tur al alegerilor parlamentare anticipate din Franța

Marine Le Pen's far-right RN joined the alliance in the European Parliament earlier on Monday, a day after it suffered a blow to its ambitions by finishing in third place in elections to the French National Assembly.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party, Fidesz and the populist Czech ANO party led by Andrej Babis had already agreed to join forces, citing the fight against illegal immigration, as well as transferring more powers from Brussels back to member states as the new alliance's goals.

With the addition of RN's 30 members, the Patriots will pose a challenge to the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), which supports Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission President.

"As patriotic forces, we are going to work together in order to retake our institutions and reorient policies to serve our nations and peoples," Jordan Bardella, prominent RN member and the group's new president, said in a statement.

In total, the Patriots have 84 members including 11 from Hungary's Fidesz and 8 from Italy's League. Kinga Gál of Fidesz and Roberto Vannacci of the League will be vice presidents.

The RN's strong showing in the European election in France helped push the liberal Renew bloc that included President Emmanuel Macron's centrists from third place down to fifth in the new European parliament.

The groupings may still change before the newly elected parliament sits in its first plenary session next week.

Bogdan Nigai

Bogdan Nigai

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