"Patriots for Europe": Orban and Kickl want to found new far-right parliamentary group

Today is a historic day, as we enter into a new era of European politics with this current day," said Kickl at a press conference in Vienna with Orban and the former Czech government chief Babis. "I'm talking about an era of freedom, I'm talking about an era of sovereignty, peace, prosperity, and values." The initiative for a new right-wing faction referred to as a "carrier rocket" by Kickl.

Orban also spoke of a "new era." The "first, perhaps decisive moment of this new era is the creation of a new European political faction that will change European politics," added the Hungarian prime minister. As goals, he mentioned the fight against illegal migration and for the "traditional family," as well as an end to the Ukraine war.

Orban, Kickl, and Babis signed a so-called Patriotic Manifesto. According to Orban, this promise "Peace, Security, and Development" instead of "War, Migration, and Stagnation," which he blames on the Brussels Elite. The new alliance is also against the climate protection measures in the EU's "Green Deal."

The new alliance needs the support of parties from four further countries to be recognized as a faction in the EU Parliament. Right-wing populist parties made significant gains in many countries during the EU election in early June. Fidesz, FPO, and Babis' populist and euroskeptical opposition party ANO were the strongest forces in their respective countries. In the new European Parliament, Fidesz has eleven seats, FPO six, and ANO seven mandates.

Orban's Fidesz party is currently without a faction in the EU Parliament. They left the European People's Party (EPP), the largest faction in the European Parliament, in dispute over democratic setbacks in Hungary. The FPO belongs to the Right-wing faction Identity and Democracy (ID), to which the French party Rassemblement National (RN) of Marine Le Pen also belongs. The ANO had announced during the past week that they would leave the liberal Renew Europe faction. Other parties from the right-wing spectrum, such as the ultraconservative Italian party Fratelli d'Italia of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, are united in the European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) faction in the European Parliament.

The AfD, in turn, was expelled from the ID faction just before the EU election, after their controversial lead candidate Maximilian Krah made trivializing remarks about the SS in an Italian daily newspaper. AfD chair Alice Weidel said in mid-June in an interview with the news agency AFP that her party would seek new alliance partners in the European Parliament if they were expelled from the ID faction.

A spokesperson for Weidel on the sidelines of the AfD party conference in Essen said on Sunday that the new faction offers "new opportunities for cooperation with other parties." The European party landscape in the right-wing spectrum has "become dynamic," and there are "several options 'on the market'" for the AfD, the spokesperson of the news agency AFP said. At the present moment, however, the AfD has not yet made a decision about its future factional affiliation in the European Parliament.

Weidel herself told the broadcaster Phoenix, she sees "no business basis" for a renewed cooperation with the ID-Faction "in the near future".

Under Orban's leadership, Hungary takes over the rotating EU-Presidency on Monday. For the six-month presidency, Orban has given the motto "Make Europe Great Again" (Make Europe Great Again) - borrowed from the campaign slogan of the former US President Donald Trump "Make America Great Again".

Orban pursues an anti-immigration policy and is considered an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Europe's billion-dollar military aid for Ukraine is decisively rejected by him.

During the press conference, Austrian Vice Chancellor Herbert Kickl highlighted the start of a new era in European politics, focusing on freedom, sovereignty, peace, prosperity, and values.
Orban echoed Kickl's sentiments, emphasizing that the first significant step in this new era was the formation of a new right-wing European political faction.
The Hungarian prime minister outlined several goals for the new faction, such as combatting illegal migration, protecting traditional families, and bringing an end to the Ukraine war.
Kickl referred to the new alliance as a "carrier rocket," emphasizing the need for support from parties in four additional countries to become a recognized faction in the EU Parliament.
right-wing populist parties achieved significant victories in numerous countries during the EU elections in early June, with Fidesz, FPO, and ANO leading the charge in their respective countries.
Fidesz, FPO, and ANO secured a total of twenty-four seats in the new European Parliament, with Fidesz holding eleven seats, FPO six, and ANO seven mandates.
Orban's Fidesz party, however, currently lacks a faction in the EU Parliament, having exited the European People's Party (EPP) due to disputes over democratic issues in Hungary.
The euroskeptical and populist FPO is part of the Identity and Democracy (ID) faction, along with the French party Rassemblement National (RN) led by Marine Le Pen.
The ANO party announced its departure from the liberal Renew Europe faction, leaving open the possibility for alliances with other right-wing parties, including the AfD.
As a result of the AfD's expulsion from the ID faction due to Maximilian Krah's SS remarks, the party is currently seeking new alliance partners in the European Parliament.
Alice Weidel, the AfD chair, expressed skepticism about renewing cooperation with the ID faction in the near future, while a spokesperson for Weidel suggested exploring new opportunities for collaboration with other parties in the right-wing spectrum.