Two new far-right parties join Orbán's group in the EP

Spain's Vox and the Netherlands' Freedom Party plan to join the new right-wing alliance in the European Parliament (EP) formed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Politico reported.
The moves will leave Orbán on the brink of gathering enough members to form an official new far-right group in the European Parliament - and potentially reduce the power of Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni.
Geert Wilders said he wants his Freedom Party to join the Patriots for Europe group to "protect our Judeo-Christian heritage. And our families."
Vox leader Santiago Abascal said his party would also join Orbán's alliance, pulling out of Meloni's European Conservatives and Reformists group.
Abascal then sent an apologetic message on social media to Meloni, expressing a "personal, political and moral connection".
According to the rules of the EP, 23 MEPs from seven countries are needed to create an official group. Official groups of parties receive financial and procedural advantages.
Orbán has fulfilled the first requirement with 37 MEPs. And with nationalist, anti-immigrant parties from Hungary, Austria, Portugal and the Czech Republic now joined by groups from Spain and the Netherlands, he needs just one more national party to cross the line.
So far, Orban has been rebuffed by Poland's Law and Justice party. The Financial Times reported that Marine Le Pen's French National Assembly (NA) is also in talks with Orbán.
If Le Pen's 30 MEPs join Orbán's group, it will leave Identity and Democracy without enough members to survive. | BGNES