Who could join

Kickl’s right-wing EU alliance still lacks four countries

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

After FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl presented plans for a new, far-right group in the EU Parliament on Sunday, the question arises as to which parties could join the "Patriots for Europe" alliance. The rumor mill is churning. The deadline for registration is approaching and four more EU countries are still missing.

The planned alliance was presented by FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, together with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) and Czech ex-Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO). At least 23 MEPs from at least seven countries are needed to form a political group in the EU Parliament.

Minimum number of mandataries already reached
The three initiators (FPÖ, Fidesz and ANO) have already achieved the minimum number of mandataries for a new "Patriots" group. The question is which other partners from other countries they can win over.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

Salvini and Le Pen in on the plans
According to the Italian newspaper "Domani", Marine Le Pen's French Rassemblement National (RN) and Matteo Salvini's Italian Lega were privy to the plans and could therefore join the new group.

"Seems to be the right way to go"
Salvini himself said in a radio interview on Monday, according to the ANSA agency, that they were still "studying the documents", but that such an alliance seemed to him to be "the right way forward".

The Portuguese right-wing populist party Chega (Enough!), which entered the EU Parliament for the first time in the EU elections and won two seats, has already expressed interest in the new alliance.

"Without unnecessary radicalism"
Party leader André Ventura explained in a video published on Facebook and YouTube that they wanted to discuss joining the new "Patriots" group within the party. In his speech, he praised the alliance in detail, saying that the "Patriots for Europe" are an alliance that advocates a "Europe of sovereign nations" and opposes "uncontrolled migration" "without unnecessary radicalism".

It is necessary to fight socialism, communism and globalism.

André Ventura, Chef der portugiesischen Rechtspartei Chega 

It is necessary to "fight socialism, communism and globalism", said Ventura. Chega previously belonged to the European party "Identity and Democracy" (ID), similar to the FPÖ and Rassemblement National.

German AfD not an issue at the moment
However, joining the German AfD in the planned new right-wing alliance is not currently on the agenda. "Even if the AfD cannot join a joint parliamentary group with Fidesz at this time, this opens up new opportunities for the AfD to work together with other parties," Daniel Tapp, spokesperson for AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, told the German Press Agency in Berlin. "The AfD would certainly fit perfectly into this grouping," according to dpa, also from circles within the AfD federal executive. The FPÖ and Fidesz are very close to the AfD in terms of content.

Hungarian media recently named the Smer-SSD party of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of former Prime Minister Janez Janša and the Polish Law and Justice Party (PiS) as possible members.

Denial from Slovenia
Just a few days ago, the Slovenian SDS delegation leader in the European Parliament, Romana Tomc, described a switch by the SDS from the European People's Party (EPP) group to another alliance as "fake news" on Platform X.

Deadline expires on July 15
With PiS on board, the new far-right group would gain 20 additional MEPs and thus become a major force within the right-wing camp in the European Parliament. The deadline for registering a group is July 15, with the formal constitution of the Parliament taking place on July 16.