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Brussels (ANSA) – The new group Patriots for Europe is born in the European Parliament, which with 84 MEPs from 12 different countries becomes the third largest formation after the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists (S&D) and before the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). The French delegation of the National Rally, with its 30 elected members, is the majority shareholder of the Patriots, followed by the 11 MEPs from Fidesz and the 8 from the League.
The group has been joined by the MEPs of Ano, led by the Czech Andrej Babis, the Austrian Fpo, the Spaniards of Vox, and the Dutch sovereigntists of Pvv. Completing the family are the Belgians of Vlaams Belang, the Portuguese of Chega, the Danish People’s Party, the Czechs of Oath and Motorists, and the sovereigntists of Latvia First. The orbanian Kinga Gal was elected first vice-president. Among the vice-presidents is the League’s preference champion, Roberto Vannacci.
The group’s program is rather straightforward: to return to an intergovernmental Europe, with a wide range of dossiers under the exclusive competence of individual states. Starting with two key issues of the next five years, defense and migration, in which they call for the dismantling of the Pact signed by the 27 in recent months. “We are not for an alternative to Europe but for a European alternative,” the Patriots stressed during a crowded press conference at the Eurocamera in Brussels.
A meeting during which, with evident hesitation, the sovereigntist MEPs answered journalists’ questions about their position on Ukraine. The impression is that there are different sensitivities within the group. Fidesz did not intervene while the Dutch of Pvv clearly emphasized their support for Kiev although at the same time “work must be done for peace.” “We condemn the Russian attacks but we do not want an escalation,” highlighted the lepenist Jean-Paul Garraud (July 8).