Wilders' PVV joins Orban's new EU parliamentary group
One week ago, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, along with the Austrian FPO's leader, together announced the formation of a new alliance in the EU Parliament. The Fraktionsstatus requires members from seven countries. With the Dutch PVV's entry, the goal is now within reach.
The planned new right-wing faction of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the European Parliament continues to gain support. After Spanish Vox, now the Dutch radical-right party of Geert Wilders also wants to be part of it. "We want to pool our forces and proudly join the patriots for Europe," wrote the head of the Freedom Party (PVV) on X. Wilders' party had won the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands in the previous November and is now the strongest partner in a right-wing government coalition of four parties. At the European elections last month, the PVV won six seats in the EU Parliament.
So far, besides Vox, the Austrian FPO under party leader Herbert Kickl, the liberal-populist Czech ANO of Andrej Babis, and the Portuguese Chega have announced their intention to join the new right-wing faction. With Wilders' announcement, the new faction would have representatives from six countries - a requirement for the Fraktionsstatus in the European Parliament is the membership of at least seven countries' representatives.
Preventing Berlin's AfD Entry?
AfD chairwoman Alice Weidel had excluded the delegation of her party from joining the planned Fidesz alliance. They are in talks, but it's not an option yet. She spoke of a long-term strategic project. "We are linked by friendship, we have incredible common ground, but both parties are subject to political and also foreign policy and foreign economic pressures, which we currently need to consider," she said in response to a question about whether her party would have wanted to be part of the alliance.
If "the prospective Austrian government leader, Mr. Kickl," were to decide to form a government coalition with Fidesz in Hungary, it would be a coalition of ruling parties. "We need to focus on our own tasks first," said Weidel. In Austria, elections will be held in the fall. FPO leader Herbert Kickl could become the new Federal Chancellor.
Orban, Kickl, and Babis formed the "Patriots for Europe!" alliance over the weekend in Vienna. In the AfD leadership, it is whispered that the German government could prevent Orban from playing the role of Hungarian Prime Minister and thus hinder cooperation with the AfD. There is talk of pressure potential. It's running behind the scenes, isn't provable, but not a conspiracy theory.
- Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) in the Netherlands, having won the parliamentary elections and forming a right-wing government coalition, aims to join the right-wing faction led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the EU Parliament.
- The announced participation of Geert Wilders' PVV in the right-wing faction would increase its members to six countries, meeting the Fraktionsstatus requirement in the European Parliament of having representatives from at least seven countries.
- While the AfD chairwoman, Alice Weidel, has excluded her party from joining the planned Fidesz alliance, there are whispers in the AfD leadership that the German government could potentially apply pressure to prevent Viktor Orban from serving as Hungarian Prime Minister, thus hindering cooperation with the AfD.
- Right-wing populist parties such as the Freedom Party (PVV) in the Netherlands, Vox in Spain, the Austrian FPO, the liberal-populist Czech ANO, and the Portuguese Chega are seeking to form a right-wing faction in the EU Parliament, aligning themselves with the principles of right-wing populism and extremism.
