Some analysts suggest this declaration from Le Pen is election-time posturing or a threat to the center-right European People’s Party and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. A unified right-wing and far-right political force is a less-than-ideal scenario for the EPP and its current socialist and liberal coalition partners, who are currently in control of the European Parliament.
Hard right unity could provide the right-wing and far-right groups leverage on two major fronts. First, it could set the potential super group up to block a second mandate for von der Leyen. Second, it could allow them to steer the direction of critical EU policy from migration to climate and shift it rightward.
A member of the ID group, who was granted anonymity, like others quoted in this piece, to speak candidly, said it’s clear where Meloni’s interests lie.
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“Between the friendly and authentic affection from Le Pen and the one from the Commission president who distributes billions of euros, who do you think is the most relevant? If von der Leyen or her successor opens the door to a good relationship with Meloni, where does the latter have more interest? If Meloni has the choice, she will choose the most useful path for Italy. Now, Le Pen offers a backup plan.”
For months, von der Leyen and the EPP have not ruled out a coalition with Meloni’s ECR. The two have inched closer, signaling a potential opportunity for collaboration in a new Parliament as von der Leyen tilts towards the right-wing leader’s views on migration while Meloni has brought her ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to the table to agree on EU aid to Ukraine.
Hermann Tertsch, a Spanish member of the European Parliament with ECR, said that it’s high time to join forces “against all this [European] People’s Party and socialists doing an agenda which is quite awful for the European interests. I think we need it really hard and strongly and urgently, that all the democratic conservative forces unite and put the EPP in front of their own deeds.”