The far-right nationalist movement wants to set up a new group in the European Parliament, but it needs at least seven member states to do so.
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Portugal’s far-right party, Cega, wants to join the new nationalist coalition, Patriots for Europe, launched by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
“The president of Cegas has expressed his intention to join this sovereignist coalition,” Orban’s spokesman said in announcing the news on Monday.
Earlier, Chega’s Andrés Ventura described the movement’s creation as a “historic opportunity” to build a political “alternative” and unite the right.
“This group is clearly opposed to Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa,” Ventura said, referring to Orban’s vote against last week’s agreement on senior EU posts.
After days of speculation, the Hungarian leader announced the formation of “Patriots of Europe” on Sunday, joined by former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Herbert Kickl, head of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ).
“What Europeans want is three things: peace, order and development,” Orban said at a presentation in Vienna. “And what Europeans are getting today from the elites in Brussels is war, immigration and stagnation.”
The coalition is trying to maximise its influence by setting up a new group in the European Parliament, but this would require the participation of at least 23 MEPs from at least seven member states.
Until Monday, these included Hungary’s Fidesz-KDNP (11 MPs), Czech Republic’s ANO (7) and Austria’s FPÖ (6). Fidesz and ANO are no longer in the group, and the FPÖ is affiliated with the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which it will soon be forced to withdraw from.
The addition of Chega and the two other MEPs brings the alliance one step closer to meeting the seven-member requirement. Together, the four will have 26 MEPs.
The two parties share a strong dislike for the Green Deal, Ms von der Leyen’s flagship initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, a major overhaul that lays out rules applying to all 27 member states for managing illegal immigration.
Importantly, they oppose the provision of military equipment to Ukraine, question the effectiveness of Western sanctions against Russia, and want to maintain close ties with the government of Vladimir Putin. They also challenge the European integration project and the powers given to supranational institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg.
More members are expected to join Patriots for Europe ahead of its first plenary session on July 16. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was expelled from the ID group in May and is without a political family, seems like a suitable candidate.
This article has been updated with more information.
