Italy’s Salvini rushes to hail Orbán’s new ‘patriotic’ alliance

4 months ago 11

Just hours after announcing the new political group “Patriots for Europe”, Matteo Salvini’s League – currently belongs to Marine Le Pen’s far-right EU group – welcomed the initiative as a new alternative to fight against the “disastrous” left.

“We want to broaden the scope of a strong, patriotic, cohesive group that opposes backroom deals. We view very favourably the statements of other leaders who have expressed their willingness today,” reads a note from the League (ID) on Sunday.

Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl (FPÖ), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Fidesz), and former Czech leader Andrej Babiš (ANO) unveiled a new political alliance on Sunday (30 June) named “Patriots for Europe”, aiming to reshape the EU institutions and change the EU’s approach to migration, green policies and the war in Ukraine.

Sources close to Orbán in Budapest told Euractiv on Sunday that more members will join the new group without naming specifically.

“As Matteo Salvini has repeatedly hoped, a large group to gather European patriots is no longer postponable,” League’s statement reads.

According to the statement, the League has been working “for years” to involve as many parties as possible that “aim to build a different EU, without the leftists who have destroyed Europe in recent years and are unwilling to support Ursula Von der Leyen.”

The party, a member of the governing coalition with Brothers of Italy (ECR) and Forza Italia (EPP), explained that “In the face of Brussels’ arrogance,” which behaves “as if nothing happened after the citizens’ vote and doesn’t wait for the outcome of the French elections on top jobs, it is more necessary than ever to unite the forces of those who want to change Europe and offer an alternative to the disastrous left.”

In recent days, the League leader had already railed against the methodology of choosing top jobs, calling it a “coup d’état.”

Moreover, Salvini has repeatedly said he wishes to unite all “European patriots” under “one big group”.

Asked if the statement means League could join the new group, a source in Rome told Euractiv: “If the League wishes for a new group before Orbán’s conference and then Salvini comments positively […]”, hinting that Salvini was aware of the scheme before Sunday’s announcement in Vienna.

Press reports in Budapest interpret League’s first statement as Salvini’s will to join Orbán’s new group while referring to the Czech journal Novinky, which reported that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico may also be interested.

Fico’s Smer party officially belongs to the EU socialist group, but its membership has been suspended.

Euractiv understands that the new “patriotic” group will closely collaborate with Le Pen’s far-right Identity and Democracy party (ID).

It is unclear whether the two groups will merge or if other parties from ID will join the new group.

(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it – Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos)