Chapter 123: Patriots for Europe

456     emerged as the top issues for voters . . . in 2024  “Rising prices and the cost of living (42%) and the economic situation (41%) are the main topics that motivated European citizens to vote in the last European elections in June this year.” European Union, “EU Post-Electoral Survey 2024,” October 2024, europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3292.

456     boosted the great replacement parties Anna Desmarais, “Russiagate to Portal Kombat: The Foreign Misinformation Campaigns Shifting the European Elections,” Euronews, June 6, 2024, www.euronews.com/next/2024/06/06/russiagate-to-portal-kombat-the-foreign-misinformation-campaigns-shifting-the-european-ele; John Irish, “European Election: How the EU Says Russia Is Spreading Disinformation,” Reuters, June 3, 2024, www.reuters.com/world/europe/european-election-how-eu-says-russia-is-spreading-disinformation-2024-06-03/; Catherine Belton and Souad Mekhennet, “Russia Co-Opts Far-Right Politicians in Europe with Cash, Officials Say,” Washington Post, June 3, 2024, www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/03/russia-europe-far-right-espionage/; Lisa O’Carroll, “Disinformation Crisis Unit on Rapid Alert Around European Elections,” The Guardian, June 4, 2024, www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/04/disinformation-crisis-unit-european-parliamentary-elections.

456     all won the most seats for their respective nations European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: France—Official Results,” accessed April 23, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/france/2024-2029/; European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Italy—Official Results,” accessed April 23, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/italy/2024-2029/; European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Hungry—Official Results,” accessed April 23, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/hungary/2024-2029/; and European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Austria—Official Results,” accessed April 23, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/austria/2024-2029/.

456     won the most votes and tied with two other parties for the most seats  “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Belgium—Official Results,” accessed October 3, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/belgium/2024-2029/.

456     finished third European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Spain—Official Results,” accessed April 23, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/spain/2024-2029/.

456     best EU election performance to date  Vox first entered the European Parliament after the 2019 election, in which the party finished fifth. “EU Election: Surge for Greens, Losses for Centrist Blocs,” Deutsche Welle (DW), May 26, 2019, www.dw.com/en/eu-election-surge-for-greens-and-euroskeptics-losses-for-centrist-blocs/a-48883806; “European Elections 2019: Power Blocs Lose Grip on Parliament,” BBC News, May 27, 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48417744.

456     seized their first seats in the European Parliament  Bruno G. Santos, “Who Were the Winner and Losers in the European Elections?” Portugal News, June 11, 2024, www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-06-11/who-were-the-winner-and-losers-in-the-european-elections/89733; and Haneyl Jacob and John Monaghan, “ADR Wins EU Parliament Seat at Expense of DP,” Luxembourg Times, June 10, 2024, www.luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/adr-wins-eu-parliament-seat-at-expense-of-dp/13755101.html.

456     finished second  European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Netherlands—Official Results,” accessed April 23, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/netherlands/2024-2029/; and European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Romania—Official Results,” accessed April 23, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/romania/2024-2029/.

456     dissolved. Rising in its place . . .  Pablo Gutiérrez et al., “European Election Results 2024 in Full: Explore the New Parliament,” The Guardian, July 18, 2024, www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2024/jun/09/european-elections-results-2024-europe-eu-parliament.

456     announced the new group . . . on June 30, 2024 “‘Patriots for Europe’: Hungary’s Orban Announces New EU Parliament Alliance,” Al Jazeera, June 30, 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/30/patriots-for-europe-hungarys-orban-announces-new-eu-parliament-alliance.

456     solicited . . . to join “‘Patriots for Europe’: Hungary’s Orban Announces New EU Parliament Alliance,” www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/30/patriots-for-europe-hungarys-orban-announces-new-eu-parliament-alliance; and Francois Murphy, “Austrian Far-Right, Hungary’s Orban Form New EU Alliance,” Reuters, June 30, 2024, www.reuters.com/world/europe/austrian-fpo-parties-orban-babis-announce-new-political-alliance-2024-06-30/.

456     later adopted . . . “Make Europe Great Again” “‘Patriots for Europe’: Hungary’s Orban Announces New EU Parliament Alliance,” www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/30/patriots-for-europe-hungarys-orban-announces-new-eu-parliament-alliance; “Speech by Viktor Orbán at the General Assembly of the Patriots for Europe,” Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, November 16, 2024, miniszterelnok.hu/en/speech-by-viktor-orban-at-the-general-assembly-of-the-patriots-for-europe/; Max Griera, “Orbán, Le Pen to Hold ‘Make Europe Great Again’ Rally in Madrid,” Politico, January 27, 2025, www.politico.eu/article/hungary-viktor-orban-france-marine-le-pen-make-america-great-again-trump-rally-madrid/.

456     joined Patriots for Europe  Geert Wilders, X, July 5, 2024, 12:55 p.m., x.com/geertwilderspvv/status/1809269979457417639, archived at archive.today, July 6, 2024 capture, archive.ph/MoNbq.

456–457 “We protect our Judeo-Christian heritage”  Geert Wilders, X, July 5, 2024, x.com/geertwilderspvv/status/1809269979457417639, archived at archive.ph/MoNbq.

457      signed on Jennifer Rankin and Angela Giuffrida, “Le Pen and Orbán Join Forces in European Parliament Far-Right Alliance,” The Guardian, July 8, 2024, www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/08/le-pen-and-orban-join-forces-in-european-parliament-far-right-alliance.

457      became the president of Patriots for Europe  “France's National Rally Elects Bardella, 27, as Le Pen’s Successor,” France 24, November 5, 2022, www.france24.com/en/europe/20221105-france-s-national-raly-pick-bardella-27-as-le-pen-s-successor; and Rankin and Giuffrida, “Le Pen and Orbán Join Forces in European Parliament Far-Right Alliance,” www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/08/le-pen-and-orban-join-forces-in-european-parliament-far-right-alliance.

457      took second in command Rankin and Giuffrida, “Le Pen Orbán Join Forces in European Parliament Far-Right Alliance,” www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/08/le-pen-and-orban-join-forces-in-european-parliament-far-right-alliance.

457      Joining as well were . . .  European Parliament, “Advanced Search: Political Groups: Patriots for Europe Group,” accessed April 24, 2025, www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/search/advanced?euPoliticalGroupBodyRefNum=7150.

457      control eighty-four seats . . . the third-largest group behind the . . . European Parliament, “European Parliament 2024–2029: Constitutive Session,” accessed April 24, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/european-results/2024-2029/.

457      kept her Brothers of Italy in the European Conservatives and Reformists group  European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Italy—Official Results,” results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/italy/2024-2029/.

457      six fewer seats than the Patriots for Europe  European Parliament, “European Parliament 2024–2029: Constitutive Session,” results.elections.europa.eu/en/european-results/2024-2029/.

457      seventy-eight seats . . . the fourth-largest group  European Parliament, “European Parliament 2024–2029: Constitutive Session,” results.elections.europa.eu/en/european-results/2024-2029/.

457      staunch support of NATO and Ukraine distinguished . . .  Rankin and Giuffrida, “Le Pen and Orbán Join Forces in European Parliament Far-Right Alliance,” www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/08/le-pen-and-orban-join-forces-in-european-parliament-far-right-alliance; and European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), “The European Project Can Only Succeed with a Strong NATO,” April 3, 2024, ecrgroup.eu/article/the_european_project_can_only_succeed_with_a_strong_nato.

457      closer ties to Vladimir Putin Rankin and Giuffrida, “Le Pen and Orbán Join Forces in European Parliament Far-Right Alliance,” www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/08/le-pen-and-orban-join-forces-in-european-parliament-far-right-alliance; and ECR, “The European Project Can Only Succeed with a Strong NATO,” ecrgroup.eu/article/the_european_project_can_only_succeed_with_a_strong_nato.

457      “I will never say that anyone who wore an SS uniform . . .”  Maximilian Krah, La Repubblica, May 18, 2024, quoted in “Germany’s AfD Bans Top candidate from EU Poll Events over Nazi Comments,” Al Jazeera, May 22, 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/22/germanys-afd-bans-top-candidate-from-eu-poll-events-over-nazi-comments.

457      the main operators of Nazi extermination camps  “SS and the Holocaust,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, December 8, 2020, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/ss-and-the-holocaust; and “Heinrich Himmler,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, accessed April 24, 2025, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/heinrich-himmler.

457      who joined the Nazi Party on May 1, 1937  David Gebhard et al., “How Oblivious to History Is the AfD?” ZDFheute, April 20, 2024, accessed via Wayback Machine, March 8, 2025 capture, web.archive.org/web/20250308042615/www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/afd-geschichtsvergessen-100.html, via Google Translate.

457      arrested . . . suspecting him of espionage for China  “German Far-Right Lawmaker Whose Assistant Was Arrested for Spying for China Keeps Up Election Bid,” Associated Press (AP) News, April 24, 2024, apnews.com/article/germany-china-spying-far-right-afd-krah-37d21734c87d3879371dbbae7e028fec.

457      charged a former parliamentary researcher . . . with the same offense  Sylvia Hui, “UK Prosecutors Charge 2 men with Spying for China, Including a Parliamentary Researcher,” AP News, April 22, 2024, apnews.com/article/uk-britain-china-spying-883477e073cc8e2b5623385c3a118d64.

457      investigating . . . for being a paid informant for China and Russia  Belton and Mekhennet, “Russia Co-Opts Far-Right Politicians in Europe with Cash, Officials Say,” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/03/russia-europe-far-right-espionage/.

458     gained four seats in the European Parliament  European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2024–2029: Germany—Official Results,” accessed April 24, 2024, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/germany/2024-2029//; and European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2019–2024: Germany—Official Results,” accessed April 24, 2024, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/germany/2019-2024/constitutive-session/.

458     fifteen seats were the second most of any party  European Parliament, “Results by national party – 2024-2029: Germany– official results,” results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/germany/2024-2029//

458     “It’s time to make a clean break . . .” Le Pen quoted in Jon Henley, “Europe’s Far Right in Disarray as Germany’s AfD Candidate Resigns,” The Guardian, May 22, 2024, www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/22/germany-afd-lead-election-candidate-resigns-ss-remark.

458     announced the formation of . . .  Europe of Sovereign Nations  Jennifer Rankin, “Germany’s AfD and Extremist Allies Set Up Second EU Parliament Far-Right Group,” The Guardian, July 11, 2024, www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/11/germany-afd-extremist-allies-set-up-second-eu-parliament-far-right-group; and Thomas Escritt, “Germany’s Spurned AfD Creates Third Far-Right EU Parliament Group,” Reuters, July 10, 202’www.reuters.com/world/europe/germanys-spurned-afd-creates-third-far-right-eu-parliament-group-2024-07-10/.

458     founded the group with . . . in Czechia  Tomio Okamura, X, July 10, 2024, 3:42 a.m., x.com/tomio_cz/status/1810942682228756520, archived at archive.today, February 10, 2026 capture, archive.ph/wip/dgd5l; and Rankin, “Germany’s AfD and Extremist Allies Set Up Second EU Parliament Far-Right Group,” www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/11/germany-afd-extremist-allies-set-up-second-eu-parliament-far-right-group.

458     “We will fight against the Green Deal, migration . . .” Okamura, X, July 10, 2024, x.com/tomio_cz/status/1810942682228756520, archived at archive.ph/wip/dgd5l.

458     came aboard  Rankin, “Germany’s AfD and Extremist Allies Set Up Second EU Parliament Far-Right Group,” www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/11/germany-afd-extremist-allies-set-up-second-eu-parliament-far-right-group.

458     a few other fringe parties See “Advanced Search: MEPs: Europe of Sovereign Nations Group,” European Parliament, accessed November 4, 2025, www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/search/advanced?euPoliticalGroupBodyRefNum=7151.

458     “no antisemites”  Alice Weidel quoted in Kjeld Neubert, “German AfD Launches Third Far-Right Group ‘Europe of Sovereign Nations,’” Euractiv, July 10, 2024, www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/german-afd-launches-third-far-right-group-europe-of-sovereign-nations/.

458     “globalists” The “Political Declaration” of Europe of Sovereign Nations states, “European civilisation is in peril. Misguided policies, globalist agendas, wokeist ideologies, and passivity towards the intrusion of political Islam are destined to deprive the peoples of Europe of the only place in the world they have to call home.” Europe of Sovereign Nations, “Political Declaration,” accessed November 4, 2025, esn-group.eu/what-we-stand-for.

458     the second-largest group in the European Parliament, one seat shy of. . .  If Le Pen’s Patriots for Europe (84 seats), Weidel’s Europe of Sovereign Nations (25 seats), and Meloni’s ECR (78 seats) combined into one supergroup, they would have 187 seats. The European People’s Party currently has 188 seats. European Parliament, “European Parliament 2024–2029: Constitutive Session,” results.elections.europa.eu/en/european-results/2024-2029/.

458     one founded by Nazis  “Austrian Far-Right Freedom Party Dogged by Nazi Past,” France 24, September 25, 2019, www.france24.com/en/20190925-austrian-far-right-freedom-party-dogged-by-nazi-past.