Italy’s interior Minister, Matteo Salvini presented on Monday in Milan, a right-wing populist electoral Alliance for the European elections in may. “European Alliance of peoples and Nations” is the name of the Alliance, the largest political group in the EU Parliament wants to be.

Around ten movements and parties want to join, according to Salvini, the electoral Alliance. “Our goal is to win the EU options and to change the rules in Europe. Other parties will join us,” said Salvini, the party leader of the xenophobic Lega.

The choice of Alliance presented Salvini at an international press conference under the title “towards a Europe of reason”, the head of the German AfD Jörg Meuthen, Olli Kotro of the party “The Finns” and Anders Vistisen of the Danish “Dansk Folkeparti” involved.

Salvini stressed that he was also speaking on behalf of the other parties, including the Austrian freedom party, and the Rassemblement National of the French right populist Marine Le Pen, the belong together with the Lega of the previous right group in the European Parliament, Europe of Nations and freedom (ENF).

“New European dream”

“We work for a new European dream. For many families, and citizens, the EU has become a nightmare. We work for employment, family policy, security, protection of the environment and the future of the young people.”

If the EU-based only on financial, bureaucracy and pure economic thinking, have you no future, said Salvini. Protection of the external borders, the fight against smuggling and terrorism, and respect for the national identities to be more concern of the new Alliance.

“We are not nostalgic or extremists. The only nostalgic sitting in Brussels today at the government. We look to the future. The outdated debate about the right and left, fascists and Communists are not interested in the 500 million citizens in Europe, which we leave to the historians,” said the League chief.

European fortress as a target

AfD-Chef Meuthen the need stressed to protect the EU’s external borders in order to defend Europe’s “rich heritage”. “We need to be a European fortress, where we decide, for yourself, who is allowed and who is not. If (German Chancellor Angela), claimed Merkel, the answers we, that this is a political will, a feasible, such as Salvini and his Lega testify,” said Meuthen.

Olli Kotrop of the party “The Finns” warned of the danger of a European “Super-state”, where Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron would work. “The sovereignty of the EU member States must be respected. The EU is always centralised and Brussels-controlled. The plans should be put in Macrons and Merkel, this would lead to the establishment of a super state, where the sovereign countries have nothing more to say”, so Kotrop.

celebrities absent

prominent right-wing populists were missing at the Meeting on Monday in Milan. The Head of the National collection of movement from France, Marine Le Pen, has apologized for a campaign event in Brittany. The freedom party sent no representatives to Milan, but wants to be part of the Alliance, as it was said in the run-up.

Also, the Hungarian head of government Viktor Orban, whose right-wing conservative Fidesz party because of the EU-the enemy is suspended of activities in the Christian democratic EPP (European people’s party), did not materialize as hoped to the Meeting.

(oli/sda)

Created: 08.04.2019, 13:48 PM