The right takes step to build ‘big European force’

WARSAW, Poland — European right-wing populist leaders declared Saturday they will cooperate more closely at the European Union’s parliament in order to defend the sovereignty of their bloc’s 27 member nations.

A statement at the end of the meeting fell short of a declaration to create a new alliance at the European Parliament, an idea that some of the party leaders have sought, but that has so far not materialized.

Still, French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen said the meeting was “a key step” toward closer co-operation. It brought together party leaders from more than a dozen nations united in conservative values, nationalism and a sense that the EU is taking powers for itself never given to it in the union’s treaties.

“It’s a step forward that is very welcome and allows me to be very optimistic,” Le Pen said.

The party leaders agreed to meet at least every two months at the European Parliament, while another meeting is planned in Spain in two months “to continue to move forward on strengthening and creating that big European force,” Le Pen said.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland’s nationalist ruling party, hosted the meeting, which was also attended by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the leader of Spain’s far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal.

The event Saturday follows a joint declaration by 16 rightwing parties in July and an visit by Le Pen to Budapest in October.

The meeting was also a show of solidarity for the Polish and Hungarian governments from like-minded politicians.

The governments of the two central European nations remain locked in a bitter standoff with the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, which is withholding funds to both countries over democratic backsliding. Warsaw and Budapest argue that the commission is taking a step that never was laid out in any EU treaties.

They also lashed out at internal guidelines the Commission had proposed substituting the “Christmas period” with “holiday period.” The EU retracted it after a backlash from conservatives and the Vatican.

Citing that incident, the populists said they objected to attempts “to ideologically alter our languages is a way which will detach a human being from their culture and heritage.”

Wojciech Przybylski, editor in chief of Visegrad Insight,a policy journal focused on Central Europe, said there is a paradox in a “transnational meeting of nationalist parties.” He thinks the event was organized so the party leaders can show their voters “they are not alone.”

Both the Hungarian and Polish ruling parties, he noted, are “in deep trouble.”

“This is essentially a PR stunt,” Przybylski said.