Meet the European Parliament's new far-right groups
15 July 2024
French far-right politician Marine Le Pen and the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán have formed a new far-right alliance called Patriots for Europe (PfE), becoming the third-largest force in the EP. Its first president is Jordan Bardella, from the French National Rally.
The alliance comprises 84 MEPs, including Hungary’s Fidesz, the Czech Republic’s ANO, and Austria’s Freedom Party. Italy’s deputy PM Matteo Salvini has pledged his League MEPs to join, expanding the group's influence. The alliance also includes Spain’s Vox, Dutch PVV, Danish People's Party, and Belgium’s Vlaams Belang. PfE's objectives include protecting Europe’s Christian roots, securing borders, and promoting competitiveness. Center-right and center-left parties now hold only 45% of seats, reflecting a significant political shift.
Meanwhile, Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) formed its own, even more right-wing group – Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN). It's the smallest group in the European Parliament, currently consisting of 25 MEPs, most of them from AfD. All members share ultra-nationalist views and critique supranational governance, marking ESN as the most radical faction in the Parliament.
 | Henrique Tizzot PfE forms with internal divisions, particularly over Ukraine. Scholar Cas Mudde notes the far-right struggles with international collaboration due to clashing personalities and ideological extremism. The formation of the ESN illustrates how the far-right is not a unified block and displays disagreements on how to present their radical views to the public. Despite these challenges, the alliance further mainstreams the far right in the EU, potentially negatively influencing policies like the Green Deal and immigration. |
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