Geert Wilders said Wednesday his
Dutch far-right Freedom Party, Italy's anti-immigrant Northern
League, and other like-minded Euroskeptic parties "are making
history" by joining forces.
Wilders was speaking at a press conference in Brussels with
Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, France's National Front
(FN) chief Marine Le Pen, and leaders of Belgium's regionalist
Vlaams Belang and Austria's right-wing FPO.
The parties - some of whom upset the establishment in their
home countries in European elections at the weekend while others
fell short - are aiming to get enough MEPs to forge a new
political bloc in the European Parliament.
"We know we have to have seven countries to form a bloc,
but I'm confident we can do it," said Wilders.
In Italy, the Northern League came away with 7% of the
vote, which was better than analysts predicted, though far
behind the majority Democratic Party (PD) which won a resounding
40%.
"I'm proud to sit in this alliance that hopes to oppose
everything that's single," said Salvini in Brussels, referring
to the single currency. "We're here to oppose the treaties that
sell us short. We're not profit, merchandise, or consumers.
We're people".
Among the most dramatic right-wing Euroskeptic wins in
Europe came in France, where Le Pen's FN won with 25%.
"These elections were a great success. They tried to divide
us but they didn't succeed. Our unity and maturity paid off,"
said Le Pen on Wednesday.
Some analysts have blamed Wilders' alliance with Le Pen for
"tainting" the Netherlands' Freedom Party, leading to its
election loss.
"We'll try to block any new EU expansion, we'll block every
attempt at increased European integration promoted by our
adversaries, and I see there's discord among them," added Le
Pen.
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