European parliament's largest far-right bloc to rally in Madrid next week
MADRID: The European Parliament's largest far-right bloc will hold its first summit in Madrid next week with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and France's Marine Le Pen in attendance, Spanish party Vox said on Monday.
Patriots for Europe will meet on February 7 and 8 under the presidency of Vox leader Santiago Abascal to outline their strategy for the coming months, party spokesman Jose Antonio Fuster told reporters.
The group has realigned the EU far right and became the parliament's third-largest force after Orban helped launch it last year to shift Brussels rightwards.
Its 84 lawmakers include France's National Rally, the Party for Freedom of Dutch anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders, Vox, Austria's Freedom Party and Chega from Portugal.
The bloc overtook the European Conservatives and Reformists, associated with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, after last year's EU elections, in which the far right performed strongly in several countries.
Fuster said there was an alternative to the coalition between the European People's Party of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and the Socialists and Democrats.
Slamming 'their climate fanaticism and their open-door policies to mass immigration,' Fuster said his group 'represents millions of Europeans who want common sense to return to European institutions.'
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Saudi Gazette
an hour ago
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Thunberg can be seen sitting near the front of the group. The FFC had earlier said the ship had come 'under assault in international waters,' in a Telegram post. 'Quadcopters are surrounding the ship, spraying it with a white paint-like substance. Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,' the FFC said. A video posted by Israel's foreign ministry appeared to show a Navy staffer sending a radio message to the vessel saying the 'maritime zone off the coast of Gaza was closed.' In a video livestreamed from the boat, activist Yasmin Acar showed a white substance on the deck, saying it had been dropped on the vessel. Acar was later heard saying it was affecting her eyes. The FFC group also posted a video on Telegram, showing members of the crew sitting inside the boat with their hands in the air. After losing communication with the vessel, the FFC began posting pre-recorded video messages from Thunberg and others onboard. 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,' Thunberg said in her video. In a statement, the FFC said Israel had acted with 'total impunity' and that the vessel's cargo, which included baby formula, food and medical supplies was 'confiscated.' Israel said it would transfer the goods to Gaza through humanitarian channels. 'Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,' said Huwaida Arraf, human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organizer. 'This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the (International Court of Justice's) binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.' Israel had repeatedly vowed to stop the aid boat from reaching Gaza, and described the ship as a 'selfie yacht' carrying 'celebrities.' 'I have instructed the IDF to ensure that the 'Madleen' flotilla does not reach Gaza,' Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said on Sunday. After the flotilla crew members were detained, Katz said in a post on X that he had instructed the military to screen videos of the Hamas attacks on Israel from October 7, 2023 to the activists upon their arrival at Ashdod Port. Israel's foreign ministry said the group 'attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity.' 'There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip – they do not involve Instagram selfies,' it added. In an earlier statement on Monday, the ministry said 'unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.' Hamas demanded the immediate release of the activists and condemned their detention in a statement, calling the interception 'a flagrant violation of international law, and an attack on civilian volunteers acting out of humanitarian motives.' As the 'Madleen' was taken to Ashdod, some 15 activists protested the ship's seizure in the city. The demonstrators carried signs reading, 'resist genocide,' 'release the Madleen activists now' and 'stop state terror.' While small, the protest and the messaging it carried are a rare sighting in Israel since the war began in 2023. 'We... have come to express our support and solidarity with the Madleen as part of the Freedom Flotilla, whose activists were abducted by Israel,' one activist is heard saying in English. The demonstrators were interrupted by a passerby who shouted in Hebrew, 'You're living in Israel,' calling the protesters 'bullies' and 'hooligans.' The 'Madleen' is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an organization that has campaigned against Israel's blockade of Gaza and tried to break the siege by boat. The crew, which had publicized the location of the ship with an online tracker, began preparing for the possibility of interception by the Israeli military. On Monday morning, the UK-flagged civilian vessel was north of Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea, slowly approaching the coast of Gaza, but the tracker has since appeared to have stopped. 'We know that it's a very risky mission and we know that previous experiences with flotillas like this have resulted in attacks, violence and even cases of death,' Thunberg told CNN on Saturday. Israel imposed a full humanitarian blockade of Gaza on March 2, cutting off food, medical supplies, and other aid to the more than 2 million Palestinians who live in the territory for 11 weeks. Faced with growing international pressure, Israel began allowing a trickle of aid in late May. 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The group did not provide evidence that the drone was Israeli, while the Israeli military has declined to comment on the alleged attack. The ship, the 'Conscience,' was heading to Malta, where a large contingent of activists, including Thunberg, were due to board before it departed for Gaza. The later voyage on the 'Madleen,' which was intercepted by Israel, departed from Sicily last Friday. — CNN
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
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Al Arabiya
a day ago
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Slovakia will block EU sanctions on Russia if they harm national interests: PM Fico
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