The pan-European family “Patriots for Europe“ has launched a new patriotic international, which will lead to a new Reconquista (by analogy with the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule) and transform patriotic parties in the EU from marginal to mainstream. This request was made at the two-day meeting in the Spanish capital Madrid of the pan-European group “Patriots for Europe“, writes BTA. The meeting took place on February 7 and 8 and became one of the leading topics for the Italian media ANSA, "RAI News", Sky TG24, TG com 24, „Repubblica“, „Open Online“, „Secolo D’Italia“, „Stampa“, „Sole 24 ore“, for the Spanish media „Vagnouardia“, „Mundo“ and „Pais“ and for the French media Agence France-Presse, „France 24“ and „Figaro“.
The venue of the meeting was the conference center of the „Marriott“ Hotel near Madrid's Barajas airport, notes „Secolo D’Italia“. According to the Italian publication, 1,000 delegates participated in the forum. According to „Mundo“, the delegates were 1,500, and according to the French media „France 24“, France Presse and „Figaro“ they were up to 2,000 people. The meeting was hosted by Santiago Abascal, the leader of the Spanish far-right „Vox“.
In mid-November last year, he was elected leader of the „Patriots for Europe“ party at its general assembly in Paris, recall „Politico“ and „Euronews“. At that time, there was no other candidate for the leadership position. Abascal, who is the leader of „Vox“ since 2014 and a Spanish MP since 2019, said after his election that the European patriots should use the political dividends accumulated during the European elections and give a comprehensive and categorical response to globalization. He promised that the “Europatriots“ would turn Europe back into a prosperous, great, safe and free continent, recalls “Politico“.
The “Patriots for Europe“ project was born after the European elections last June at the initiative of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party Herbert Kickl, recalls Agence France-Presse. Initially, the “Europatriots“ were just a new family in the tenth European Parliament, and then they grew into a party. Political forces that were previously part of other European political projects joined this family. For example, the far-right French "National Rally" put an end to the "Identity and Democracy" project and became part of the "Europatriots". And Abascal's "Vox" broke long-standing ties with the "European Conservatives and Reformists", which is dominated by the conservative Italian party "Italian Brothers" of Giorgia Meloni, in order to become part of the "Europatriotic project".
Today, "Patriots for Europe" have 86 deputies in the European Parliament, recall Agence France-Presse and "France 24". The "National Rally" has the most deputies - 30 -. That is why its leader Jordan Bardella is the head of the Patriots for Europe group in the EP. Orbán's Hungarian ruling party Fidesz has 10 MEPs. The Italian far-right League party of Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has 8 MEPs. Babis's party ANO - Movement of Dissatisfied Citizens has 7 MEPs in this European parliamentary family. Vox, Kickl's Austrian Freedom Party and Geert Wilders' Dutch Freedom Party each have 6 MEPs in Patriots for Europe. The Belgian nationalist party Flemish Interest has 3 MEPs. With two MEPs in Patriots for Europe the Portuguese far-right "Joke" of André Ventura and the Polish "National Movement" are participating. The Danish People's Party and the Latvian party "Latvia First" each have one MP. Greece participates in "Patriots for Europe" with two MPs, who are from the parties "Voice of Reason" and "Christian Democratic People's Party" respectively. Two Czech parties "Motorists for Yourself" and "Oath" are also participating with one MP each. Now, representatives of all these parties have participated in the Madrid forum, either in person or by joining via video conference, as Jordan Bardella did, for example.
On February 7, the participants gathered for a dinner held behind closed doors, notes “Secolo D’Italia“. “France 24“ and “Figaro“ specify that the dinner was also attended by Kevin Roberts, chairman of the ultraconservative American think tank “Heritage Foundation“. The media was granted access to the discussions only on February 8, during which speeches were given by leading figures from “Patriots for Europe“, such as Matteo Salvini, André Ventura, Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders, Viktor Orban, Santiago Abascal, and others.
The spokesman for “Vox“ José Antonio Fuster stated before the start of the two-day forum that his goal was to establish a common strategy for action of the “Europatriots“ and to consolidate their position as an alternative to the consensus in Europe between the European People's Party and the Socialists, recalls “Secolo D’Italia“. The media outlet emphasizes that the forum was a demonstration of patriotic strength and a patriotic wave spreading across Europe. Among the topics covered at the Madrid forum were the alleged ideological deviations of the Green Deal, border protection, combating illegal immigration, as well as the problem of possible American tariffs, the Italian publication adds.
The meeting in Madrid took place under the motto “Make Europe Great Again“, which billionaire Elon Musk, who is part of Donald Trump's administration, has recently used several times in his posts in “Ex” and made people talk that he has some kind of plan for change in Europe, noted the Italian, French and Spanish media covering the meeting. Musk himself did not attend the forum in Madrid, nor did he speak to the delegates via video conference. And the “Europatriots“ actually emphasized on several occasions that the call “Make Europe Great Again“ was not invented by Musk, but was used by Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán during the Hungarian rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of 2024, ANSA recalls.
The strongest messages during the forum in Madrid came from the hard-liner patriots, who took turns speaking at its finale, notes “Mundo“. Then the most categorical words were spoken against illegal immigration, in celebration of Donald Trump's victory in the US elections, against Brussels and EU leaders, against transnational organizations and structures, such as the World Health Organization, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, NGOs supporting migrants, against national leaders of the left, such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, against French President Emmanuel Macron, against globalization and gender ideology, summarize “Mundo“, “Pais“, “Vanguardia“, “ANSA, RAI News, Sky TG24, TGCom 24, “Secolo D’Italia“, “Open Online“, “Figaro“, France Presse, “France 24, “Stampa“, “Sole 24 ore“ and “Republique“.
In front of the delegates, the leader of the group in the French parliament of the “National Assembly“ Marine Le Pen said, referring to the achievements of the “Europatriots“: “Our weight is growing, we are the third force in the EP. With each vote in Europe, our ideas are gaining more and more ground, as was seen in the European elections in June“, recalls ANSA. Speaking about Trump's coming to power in the USA, Le Pen emphasized that “Trump's election cannot be analyzed only as a simple political change in a democratic country, nor even only as a patriotic rise of a nation that rightly rejects the forces of decline. “We are facing a real global change. Everyone understands that something has changed. For its part, the EU seems to be in shock," reported “Mundo“ and TG Com 24. “The results of the American elections should lead to an awakening of the Old Continent,“ Le Pen stressed, quoted by Sky TG 24. She added, referring to EU policy, that Europeans are faced with the need to save themselves from a project of economic decline and of favoring immigration. Le Pen also stressed that “migration policy is escaping all control, and migration is emptying our coffers and filling our prisons“.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini commented that the Madrid meeting is “a unique opportunity to express clear and win-win positions to avoid the economic catastrophe imposed by Ursula Von der Leyen and (European Commissioner) Frank Timmermans with the Green Deal“. Salvini also called the Madrid meeting an opportunity to clarify positions on values, protecting borders, eradicating Islamist terrorism in all its forms, notes “Secolo D’Italia“. “We are here in Madrid to talk about jobs, about youth, about security, about the future, about changes in Italy. We are here to do together with our allies what Trump is doing in the US in a few days”, Salvini said, quoted by ANSA. On the subject of Trump's planned tariffs on European imports, which was on the agenda of the Madrid meeting, Salvini said that Europeans must act proactively. But he added that European agriculture is not currently in difficulty because of threats of tariffs coming from Trump, but because of European rules, taxes and restrictions. "Car workers are not risking their jobs because of Trump or China. But because of the idiotic rules imposed by Brussels. Immigration? Trump deported thousands of people in a few days and reinforced the border with Mexico. I'm afraid that Von der Leyen would never do this," Silvini also said, quoted by "Secolo D'Italia". "Trump has shown us that a new world is possible," Salvini also said, quoted by "Open Online."
The leader of the "League" also called for "less Europe and more freedom." "It is not the EU that legitimizes the states, but the states that legitimize the EU, which otherwise would not exist. The burqa is not Europe, gender is not Europe, Islamic terror is not Europe," Salvini said. He also called on the European People's Party to abandon its alliance with the Socialists and choose now whether to stay "with Soros' past or Musk's future," ANSA and "Open Online" noted. In this way, the Italian far-right leader echoed the tone of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who at her annual press conference on January 9 said that Soros interferes in the internal affairs of countries, while Musk does not pose a threat to democracy.
In his speech in Madrid, Salvini did not miss out on criticizing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He ironically called him a "genius who, instead of thinking about German workers, says he wants to send NATO soldiers to Greenland. I hope that German voters will reward Scholz and give him a one-way ticket to Greenland," reported Open Online and TG Kom 24. Salvini was thus referring to an interview Scholz gave yesterday to the German media outlet Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. (RND), in which the chancellor says that climate change is also changing the Arctic region and opening up new shipping routes, in which China and Russia have a great interest. “This raises security issues that need to be discussed between NATO allies and NATO should strengthen its presence in Greenland“, Scholz said in the interview criticized by Salvini.
“The change that European patriots are striving for looks across the ocean, to the United States, where Trump has shown in a few days that a revolution of common sense is possible. With the policy of “America First” Trump has given back the voice to millions of citizens who felt abandoned by the elites, he has given them back security, border protection, the supremacy of national law, reduced taxes and bureaucracy, gave them back the protection of jobs and purchasing power. These must be the cornerstones of our European revolution”, Salvini said. "We support the patriotic forces in Germany, in France, everywhere. Patriots must be united by a common project," the Italian deputy prime minister was quoted as saying by ANSA. "How many times, when we are faced with the failure" of European policies, "we have heard the answer that they have not worked because we have not ceded enough sovereignty to Brussels. Enough with these mockeries coming from Brussels. Enough with them telling us what to eat and what cars to drive. It is time to "freely express our opinions," Salvini said.
He has also shown himself to be a loyal follower of Trump's political line and, in addition to the EU, has also attacked the WHO and the ICC. "It is time to stop funding supranational bodies like the WHO, which protect the interests of multinational companies, not citizens," said Salvini, quoted by ANSA and Sole 24 Ore. Recently, his party, the League, submitted a proposal to the Italian parliament to withdraw Italy from the WHO, following Trump's example. Salvini said that the ICC, which puts the terrorists from Hamas on the same level as a freely elected prime minister like Benjamin Netanyahu, should not be supported, ANSA and Open Online indicate. Salvini was referring to the ICC arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Nenadyahu over the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip against "Hamas". The same warrant also names a "Hamas" leader, whom the Palestinian movement recently announced had been killed and who was considered the mastermind of the attack by "Hamas" fighters on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and which unleashed the war in Gaza. Italy, on the other hand, has been in dispute with the ICC since mid-January over an arrest warrant for a high-ranking Libyan police officer, accused by the Hague Court of torturing and killing migrants and opposition figures held in a Libyan prison. Italy arrested the wanted Libyan, but released him after two days due to omissions and inaccuracies, as the government had stated in the request for his arrest addressed to it by the ICC, ANSA recalls.
At the beginning of his speech, Salvini thanked all the representatives of the “Patriots for Europe“ for the support they had given him during the 3-year trial against him, which ended with an acquittal at the end of last year. In this case, Salvini was accused of blocking for weeks the disembarkation of illegal migrants in Italy, rescued by a ship of the Spanish NGO “Open Arms“. Salvini risked receiving a 6-year prison sentence, ANSA recalls. “In the end, I was acquitted, we won. Pedro Sánchez and the left-wing NGO “Open Arms“ lost. Goodbye Pedro, goodbye NGOs, long live freedom," Salvini said.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, which won parliamentary elections in the Netherlands more than a year ago, told the forum in Madrid: "We are here not as individuals, but as a powerful force, united by a single vision of optimism for the future. Friends, we are the future!" Wilders assured that "the time of leaders like Macron and Sanchez is over," ANSA and TG com 24 reported. "The world is changing rapidly before our eyes and we are facing this transformation," he added. "We must ask ourselves: Are we ready to do what Donald Trump did in Europe? The answer is "yes," we will make Europe great again, he assured. Wilders then added: "You Spaniards were the first to reject Islam with the Reconquista and restore the rich heritage of Christianity in your country. And we will never forget that. That is why we are great admirers of Spain. You were the first to make Europe great again. Spain will remain Spain, the Netherlands will remain the Netherlands, with our identity and culture. We will never be Islamic countries," ANSA reported. Wilders also called Trump a "brother in arms," France 24 reported.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told delegates that Trump had changed everything and now was the time for European patriots, Open Online reported. He said he saw Trump's return as a turning point for the sovereign movement in Europe. “The Trump tornado changed the world. Now we are mainstream. Yesterday for some we were a past, a nonsense, and now with Trump we are the future. We are many, strong and great. Now our team is very united. Hungary is living proof that this is possible, that we can do it”, he concluded, quoted by “Open Online“, ANSA and TG Com 24. Orbán is considered one of the closest allies of the American president in Europe and on January 20, the day of the Republican's inauguration, he said that “Now it is our turn to occupy Brussels“, recalls “France 24“.
Like Geert Wilders, Orbán also praised the Reconquista in his speech. "Dear Santiago, you are Spanish and you want the Reconquista, I am Hungarian and I say I am with you," Orban declared.
The leader of the Portuguese far-right Andre Ventura made statements that could be perceived as interference in Spanish internal affairs, notes “Mundo“. “Sanchez is much closer to prison, and Santiago is much closer to becoming prime minister“, Ventura said, referring to the investigations being conducted against party members and Sanchez's wife. Then a woman in the audience shouted “And what are we going to do with Feijoo?“, referring to the leader of the conservative Spanish People's Party Alberto Nunes Feijoo. “He is the same as Sanchez“, Ventura summed up in response.
At the end of the forum, the closing speech was delivered by the host Santiago Abascal. "We Spaniards really like being recognized for the extraordinary undertaking of the Reconquista, for being the wall of Europe against Islamism. We are ready to do it again," Abascal stressed, quoted by ANSA and Vanguardia. Speaking about Spanish politics, Abascal said that Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez is on the side of Venezuelan socialist President Nicolas Maduro and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The latter was a reference to Sanchez's support for recognizing the independence of the Palestinian state, which Abascal has defined several times in the past as support for Hamas terrorism. Abascal also criticized conservative leader Feijoo for being a follower of Von der Leyen, ANSA and TG Com 24 reported.
“High fences make good neighbors“, the leader of “Vox“ also said, quoted by “Mundo“. In this way, he synthesized the two ideas that were the focus of the meeting in Madrid - opposing immigration and defending national sovereignty. “It is up to us to prevent Brussels from continuing to allocate our money for suicidal ideologies that aim to destroy patriotism“, Abascal also noted, quoted by “Mundo“.
Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, also addressed the delegates at the forum in Madrid via video message. "This is a global war for freedom and you, the patriots, are our allies. You have always supported our fight against dictatorship," said Machado, who was awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought last year, ANSA and Sky TG 24 reported. "We live in times of dizzying change. Society understands the meaning and importance of freedom and common sense. Both in Europe and in Venezuela we have the same values and goals, we are fighting against dictatorship," she said.
The European far-right of the patriots celebrated Trump's coming to power, demonstrated unity, launched diverse attacks, summarizes "Pais". But despite the calls made in Madrid for unity in the patriotic ranks, disagreements between patriots remain, adds “Mundo“.
One of the issues on which patriots are not united is that of Russia and its aggression in Ukraine. Orbán has maintained contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While, for example, the host of the forum in Marid Abascal has recently condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine on several occasions. The Italian Salvini is part of a government in Italy that has taken a firm pro-Ukrainian position and has so far sent 10 packages of military aid to Kiev. Salvini is a proponent of peace in Ukraine and opposes Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's idea of sending Western peacekeepers there, but he has also condemned Russian aggression against Ukrainian territory, despite once admiring Putin.
At the Madrid meeting, only Orbán dared to raise the topic of Ukraine, commented “Mundo“. “Because of Brussels, our money is going to Ukraine for a hopeless war“, he said. This statement had a double reading and was directed both against the provision of weapons and financial support to Kiev and against Abascal's “Vox“ party. She condemns Russian aggression in Ukraine and therefore supports what Orban defines as a waste of money for Ukraine, but at the same time she took a loan of 6.5 million euros from a Hungarian bank in which the Hungarian state has a stake, recalls “Mundo“.
Another difference between the patriots is the issue of abortion, adds “Mundo“. The issue of tariffs that Trump could impose on the EU also causes disagreements. On this issue, host Abascal tried to smooth over the contradictions, emphasizing that “the biggest tariff for the EU is the Brussels Green Pact, the same pact that the “progressives“ and the socialists agreed on with the EPP“. In an attempt to erase the differences, Abascal urged delegates in Madrid: "Let us join forces without prejudice against the economic and ecological suicide" that he believes Europe is heading towards, commented "Mundo".
The issue of Catalan independence also causes controversy among European patriots. For example, Salvini supported Catalan independence, unlike Abascal, „Mundo“ also points out.
According to analyst Steven Forti from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a specialist in the far right, the meeting in Madrid was an opportunity for „Patriots for Europe“ to take advantage of the wave generated by Trump's victory and to declare their ambition to change the balance of power in the EU, summarize „Figaro“ and „France 24“. What the „Patriots for Europe“ and Trump have in common is their desire to weaken the EU, but this does not mean that there are no tensions among the patriots, says Forti. For example, Marine Le Pen declared that “France cannot be subordinated to the US”, in which she declared herself against blindly following Trump's example or against the possible tariffs that Trump wants to impose on European imports. And Le Pen's entourage says that she also did not like the slogan “Make Europe Great Again”, chosen for the summit in Madrid.
”Patriots for Europe” may have great ambitions for change, but they are in competition in the EP with two other far-right groups – The “European Conservatives and Reformists“, which have 80 MEPs and the “Europe of Sovereign Nations“, which has 26 MEPs and in whose ranks is “Alternative for Germany“, recalls “France 24“. This speaks of a continuing division in the far-right spectrum in Europe. The meeting in Madrid was reminiscent of the meeting in May 2024, again in the Spanish capital. Then Le Pen was present there in person again, and Meloni joined via video conference, both of whom called for the unification of all the right-wingers in Europe against the left. This never happened at the European elections and after them.
Meloni was not in Madrid this time, despite reports in Italian media that she would be present. It is not clear whether Abascal invited her at all. And if there was an invitation, then her absence could be explained by the pressure her government is under on various issues in Italy, including the release of a Libyan wanted by the ICC. These days, a scandal has also erupted in Italy related to the leak to the media of excerpts from confidential chats of the “Italian Brothers“ concerning her coalition partners from the “Lega“ and “Forza Italia“, recalls “Open Online“. The chats are from 2021, when Mario Draghi's broad coalition government was formed. Only Meloni's party did not appear in it. According to the leaked chats, Meloni stated at the time that Matteo Salvini and Giancarlo Giorgetti, who supported Draghi's cabinet, were the biggest sycophants. Today, like Salvini and Giorgetti, he is part of Meloni's cabinet, in which he is Minister of Economy. Salvini is also said in chats that he is a "spoiled and unadaptable child". According to chats, the current Minister for European Affairs of Italy, Tommaso Foti, once praised Mussolini. And Edmondo Cirielli, a deputy from the "Italian Brothers", at that time called the "Forza Italia" party, then led by Silvio Berlusconi, "bandits and thieves". In connection with all these revelations, Meloni published a statement on her Facebook account on the eve of the Madrid meeting, in which she said that no instrumentalized controversy would harm her relationship with Salvini, with whom they had been "together in many battles and with whom they will continue to work side by side, with loyalty and determination, for the good of Italy". She also defined Salvini's position in her government - that of Minister of Infrastructure and Transport and Deputy Prime Minister - as "a central role in pushing through the reforms and projects that the nation needs". This assurance came at a time when there was talk that Salvini wanted to be moved to the post of Minister of the Interior.
And while the meeting in Madrid was underway, at which one of the leading speakers was the leader of the "Joke" in Portugal, this party was shaken by a new scandal. Following an investigation against its MP Miguel Arruda for stealing suitcases at Lisbon airport, another party figure - Nuno Padral Ribeiro, who is 51 years old and a municipal councilor - found himself under investigation on suspicion of paying 20 euros for sex with a 15-year-old girl he met through the app “Grindr“, writes “Repubblica“.
By the way, if we have to go back to the summit in Madrid, it was briefly interrupted by the invasion of a half-naked activist from the feminist protest movement “Femen“, reported “France 24“ and TG Com 24.