New EU rights group: AfD "not yet" involved

In Vienna, three European right-wing parties have announced the formation of a new faction in the European Parliament, named "Patriots for Europe." The currently non-affiliated AfD MPs are not involved. The party leadership is pleased with "new opportunities."

When the press release comes out, the AfD is busy electing new members for its Bundesschiedsgericht at its party conference in Essen: The Austrian FPO, the Hungarian Fidesz Party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and the Czech ANO of the former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš intend to found a new faction in the European Parliament. The interesting part: The AfD is not involved.

The party leadership seems to be aiming for eventual membership of this faction: "Even though the AfD cannot join this common faction with Fidesz at this point in time, it opens up new opportunities for the AfD to collaborate with other parties, as the ECR and ID landscapes are in general in motion," said a spokesperson for AfD leader Alice Weidel to ntv. "Therefore, there are free delegations on the market."

The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the Identität und Demokratie (ID) factions already existed in the last European Parliament, and they will exist in the new one. In the ECR, the Fratelli d'Italia of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni forms the largest and most influential group. In the ID-faction, the role falls to the French Rassemblement National of Marine Le Pen.

The FPO belonged to the ID-faction until now, and the representatives of Fidesz were non-affiliated - originally, the Hungarian party was a member of the European People's Party, to which the CDU and CSU also belong. The AfD maintains a friendly relationship with the FPO.

Relationship with Le Pen strained

The AfD was expelled from the ID-faction on the initiative of Le Pen before the European elections. The reason was statements by AfD's lead candidate for the European elections, Maximilian Krah, about the National Socialist terrorist organization SS. Conflicts between Le Pen and the AfD had already existed beforehand, following the revelation of the Potsdam meeting, during which right-wing extremists, including the AfD, discussed plans for "remigration."

Krah was not admitted to the AfD group in the European Parliament after the election - a reconciliation with Le Pen did not occur despite this. AfD leader Tino Chrupalla distanced himself indirectly from the Frenchwoman: "We cannot tolerate that someone interferes in our affairs from France or Italy."

Why the AfD has not yet joined the new grouping remained unclear at first. However, in a resolution submitted to the party conference, there is clear criticism of Fidesz. In it, it is stated with regard to the ID party: "The AfD should recognize and acknowledge that political interests are completely different. Meloni as a politician, but also Hungary or Poland as a whole are financially dependent on EU money, Le Pen is subordinating everything to her presidential campaign."

The new faction is to be called "Patriots for Europe." Orbán stated during the presentation of the right-wing faction in Vienna that they plan to accept new members soon and become the "largest faction of right-wing forces in Europe."

Despite being expelled from the ID-faction due to controversial statements by their lead European elections candidate, Maximilian Krah, the AfD is considered to have a friendly relationship with the FPO.
Tino Chrupalla, the leader of the AfD, distanced himself from Marine Le Pen following conflicts between the two parties, stating, "We cannot tolerate that someone interferes in our affairs from France or Italy."
In a resolution submitted to the party conference, the AfD criticized Fidesz and the ID party, stating that they have different political interests and that countries like Hungary are financially dependent on EU money.
Tino Chrupalla and the AfD have yet to join the new right-wing faction "Patriots for Europe" led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, although Orban has expressed his intention to accept new members and grow the faction to become the largest in Europe.