Orbán, Babiš, Kickl create new “patriotic” alliance to redefine EU policies, eye new Parliament group

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.

This alliance, rooted in populist parties from the three countries, seeks to form a new political group in the European Parliament by 15 July, coinciding with the constituency meeting in Strasbourg.

The three founding parties won a total of 24 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in the recent EU elections. They thus fulfil one of the requirements for the creation of a group in the European Parliament. At least 23 MEPs are needed to form it.

However, MEPs need to come from at least seven different Member States. They thus need to persuade parties from at least four other European countries to create this group and have that influence in shaping policies.

Since the EU elections, several parties on the political right have rushed to redefine the European Parliament’s political groups, with unclear results.

In recent days, there has been speculation that Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National could leave its current Identity and Democracy (ID) group to join another alliance. The future of Alternative for Germany (AfD), which recently left ID, is also uncertain as it searches for new partners across the EU.

The central point of the Patriots for Europe coalition’s platform is the defence of national sovereignty against what they perceive as overreach by Brussels. “We must strengthen the sovereignty of each member state,” declared Czechia’s Babiš, criticising what he sees as a tendency towards centralisation and a federal structure dominated by Brussels.

Herbert Kickl emphasised the need to return competencies from Brussels to the member states, arguing for a significant reduction in the EU’s centralised power.

“We want a Europe of genuine subsidiarity with a clear commitment to diversity on this continent,” he stated.

This vision includes a smaller EU administration and parliament, as well as reducing the number of EU Commissioners by at least one-third.

“We want the Parliament to be significantly smaller”

Kickl proposed sweeping reforms to EU institutions, including a drastic reduction in the size of the European Parliament.

“We want the European Parliament to be significantly smaller, about the size of the US House of Representatives,” he suggested, noting that the current EP has 720 seats while the US House has only 435 members.

Orbán highlighted the resistance from the “Brussels elite” to such changes, but stressed the coalition’s commitment to pushing through these reforms. “The Brussels elite is resisting … They do not want change; they want to stick to the status quo. That is unacceptable,” he declared.

In contrast, several member states have called for EU reforms aimed at strengthening the union and safeguarding it from Orbán’s frequent vetoes—particularly in foreign policy matters, 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”

Migration is another prominent issue for the new political alliance, with all three leaders condemning current EU policies. “We are determined to really solve the problem of illegal migration. The recently adopted European Union package needs to be changed,” Babiš claimed, emphasising the need for stringent measures to secure the EU’s external borders, dismantle smuggling networks, and expedite the expulsion of those without the right to remain in Europe.

“Each country must have the right to decide independently who will live and work there,” he asserted.

Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine featured prominently in the coalition’s agenda. Viktor Orbán criticised the Brussels elite for their handling of the situation, suggesting that their approach led to unnecessary escalation and instability. “There is a war in our neighbourhood where we could not prevent it from breaking out, and once it broke out, we could not stop it,” Orbán lamented.

He underscored the coalition’s commitment to peace and stability in the region, criticising the current EU leadership for its alleged inability to effectively manage the conflict. “Europeans want three things: peace, order, and development. And what they get from the current Brussels elite is war, migration, and stagnation,” Orbán stated.

Orbán’s Fidesz maintains ties with Russia despite its aggression towards Ukraine, and Kickl’s FPÖ party has pro-Russian affiliations. Notably, former Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl, from the FPÖ, is known for dancing with Vladimir Putin at her wedding and relocating to Russia last year. Babiš, meanwhile, is a vocal advocate of a “peace solution,” often questioning the delivery of arms to Ukraine.

Revising the Green Deal

The coalition leaders were also united in their criticism of the EU’s Green Deal, which they argue undermines economic competitiveness and threatens prosperity.

Babiš called for a revision of the Green Deal, proposing a more balanced approach that supports sustainable economic development without imposing undue burdens on industry. “Our group wants a balanced approach to environmental policy that supports sustainable economic development,” he said.

Kickl echoed these sentiments, arguing that current policies lead to deindustrialisation and economic decline. “Instead, we need a Europe that does justice to the original goals of European cooperation, that revitalises them,” he said.

[Edited by Aurélie Pugnet / Chris Powers]

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