BERLIN. The AfD becomes the parliamentary group “Patriots for Europe” by FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš don’t participate. “At this point I can say that it is not an option for the AfD,” said federal spokeswoman Alice Weidel of the AfD in the Bundestag on Tuesday afternoon.
However, she did not give specific reasons. “If the future head of government in Austria decides to join forces with the head of government in Hungary, then it will be an alliance of the governing parties,” Weidel explained. As a result, they are subject to “political, foreign policy and foreign economic restrictions that we currently have to take into account.” First of all, the AfD delegation in Brussels and Strasbourg had to “do their homework.”
“Carrier rocket” takes off without the AfD
The parties from Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic – FPÖ, Fidesz and ANO – announced on Sunday that they wanted to establish the EU’s “largest right-wing” parliamentary group. Other parties will join this “Patriots for Europe” group, Kickl said. The alliance of the big three is a “launching rocket,” Kickl continued. Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán added that the new group would soon be “the strongest right-wing association” in European politics.
Babiš explained the goals, which were scored in one “Patriotic Manifesto” were held: The priority is therefore to defend the sovereignty of nation states, the fight against illegal migration and the rollout of the Green Deal. The EU’s climate protection policy threatens the competitiveness of the EU economy, Babiš warned. Orbán added that what is happening in Brussels now “is not green politics, but toxic green politics.”
The FPÖ has six seats in the new EU Parliament, the Czech ANO has seven seats and the Fidesz-KDNP has eleven seats. They thus meet the requirement to gather at least 23 mandates in a parliamentary group. However, more MEPs are still needed from four other EU countries. The informal deadline for registering new factions expires on 4 July. However, a constitution can be officially reported until 16 July. But by then, many parliamentary positions will already have been taken. (sv/mp)