Viktor Orban, Marine Le Pen attend European far-right rally in France
Far-right leaders from across Europe including Hungarian President Viktor Orban have held a joint rally in France, launching scathing attacks on the European Union and the level of immigration on the continent.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen also made a high-profile appearance at the rally, marking a year after her party National Rally won their best-ever vote share in European elections.
The mood at the event in Mormant-sur-Vernisson, south of Paris, was buoyant and confident, particularly in light of Donald Trump's return to the White House earlier this year and strong election results for the far-right in Europe.
Mr Orban, revelling in his self-proclaimed status as the "black sheep of the EU" and "Brussels' nightmare", likened European migration policy to "an organised exchange of populations to replace the cultural base" of the continent.
He said he would not let the trend "destroy our cities" and told the crowd his country had been able to "push back migrants", even if it meant incurring sanctions from Brussels.
Ms Le Pen, in her speech, described the European Union as a "graveyard of politically unfulfilled promises" and termed it "woke and ultra-liberal".
"We don't want to leave the table. We want to finish the game and win, to take power in France and in Europe and give it back to the people," she said.
Her party previously backed France's exit from the EU. But now it preaches European reform while remaining a member as Le Pen seeks to make the party electable and shake off the legacy of her late father Jean-Marie Le Pen.
The rally comes less than two years out from France's next presidential elections, which Ms Le Pen may be ineligible to run in after being convicted in a fake jobs scandal. She is appealing the ruling.
But waiting in the wings is her protege and National Rally party leader Jordan Bardella, 29, who may stand if Ms Le Pen cannot.
"We reject the Europe of Ursula von der Leyen," Bardella told the rally, referring to the chief of the EU Commission. "We reject the Europe of Macron … We represent the rebirth of a true Europe."
Other attendees included Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the League party Matteo Salvini, the leader of Spain's Vox party Santiago Abascal and former Czech premier Andrej Babis.
They are all part of the Patriots for Europe faction in the European parliament, one of no less than three competing far-right factions in the chamber.
Mr Salvini described migration as a "threat" to Europe.
"The threat to our children is an invasion of illegal immigrants, mainly Islamists, financed and organised in the silence of Brussels," he claimed from the podium, calling on European "patriots" to "work together" to "take back control of the destiny and future of Europe."
In a sign of the controversy over the meeting, some 4,000 people from the left, hard left and trade unions protested in the nearby town of Montargis, according to organisers, vowing to "build resistance" and proclaiming the far-right leaders were "not welcome".
"You have here the worst of the racist and xenophobic European far right that we know only too well," French hard-left MEP Manon Aubry told the counter-rally.
AFP
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Viktor Orban, Marine Le Pen attend European far-right rally in France
Far-right leaders from across Europe including Hungarian President Viktor Orban have held a joint rally in France, launching scathing attacks on the European Union and the level of immigration on the continent. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen also made a high-profile appearance at the rally, marking a year after her party National Rally won their best-ever vote share in European elections. The mood at the event in Mormant-sur-Vernisson, south of Paris, was buoyant and confident, particularly in light of Donald Trump's return to the White House earlier this year and strong election results for the far-right in Europe. Mr Orban, revelling in his self-proclaimed status as the "black sheep of the EU" and "Brussels' nightmare", likened European migration policy to "an organised exchange of populations to replace the cultural base" of the continent. He said he would not let the trend "destroy our cities" and told the crowd his country had been able to "push back migrants", even if it meant incurring sanctions from Brussels. Ms Le Pen, in her speech, described the European Union as a "graveyard of politically unfulfilled promises" and termed it "woke and ultra-liberal". "We don't want to leave the table. We want to finish the game and win, to take power in France and in Europe and give it back to the people," she said. Her party previously backed France's exit from the EU. But now it preaches European reform while remaining a member as Le Pen seeks to make the party electable and shake off the legacy of her late father Jean-Marie Le Pen. The rally comes less than two years out from France's next presidential elections, which Ms Le Pen may be ineligible to run in after being convicted in a fake jobs scandal. She is appealing the ruling. But waiting in the wings is her protege and National Rally party leader Jordan Bardella, 29, who may stand if Ms Le Pen cannot. "We reject the Europe of Ursula von der Leyen," Bardella told the rally, referring to the chief of the EU Commission. "We reject the Europe of Macron … We represent the rebirth of a true Europe." Other attendees included Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the League party Matteo Salvini, the leader of Spain's Vox party Santiago Abascal and former Czech premier Andrej Babis. They are all part of the Patriots for Europe faction in the European parliament, one of no less than three competing far-right factions in the chamber. Mr Salvini described migration as a "threat" to Europe. "The threat to our children is an invasion of illegal immigrants, mainly Islamists, financed and organised in the silence of Brussels," he claimed from the podium, calling on European "patriots" to "work together" to "take back control of the destiny and future of Europe." In a sign of the controversy over the meeting, some 4,000 people from the left, hard left and trade unions protested in the nearby town of Montargis, according to organisers, vowing to "build resistance" and proclaiming the far-right leaders were "not welcome". "You have here the worst of the racist and xenophobic European far right that we know only too well," French hard-left MEP Manon Aubry told the counter-rally. AFP
