The Hungarian prime minister met in Vienna for talks with European right-wing party leaders Herbert Kickl, head of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, head of the ANO Party.
At the joint press conference, Herbert Kickl said, "This is a historic day. Europe is entering a new era." The FPO president then presented the newly formed patriotic alliance. The aim of the group is to provide a better future for Europe. Other parties are also welcome to join this alliance, he underlined.
The Austrian party president stated that European administration must be streamlined.
Peace, freedom and prosperity for all citizens of the continent,
he said.
Kickl stressed that the group, comprised of three political parties and their representatives, will formally be presented at the inaugural session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on July 16, and aims to usher in a new era of political change in Europe.
Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic form a strong core base in the center of Europe for the new reform movement, he said, explaining that they want to revitalize Europe's pluralist character and ensure that the EU's nations can preserve their specificities.
We will not stand idly by and watch the emergence of a European superstate in which sovereignty and self-determination of individual states are empty phrases. We want a Europe that once again presents and develops with pride its values, traditions and diversity,
the FPO chief said.
After the meeting, Prime Minister Orban said, "We believe that this is the day when the change in European politics begins." He stressed that he has seen everything that has happened in politics over the past few years.
1989 marked the beginning of an era of European politics which came to an end with the June elections,
he said, adding that a new political party group will be created that will change European politics.
Today we create a political formation that will skyrocket and very rapidly become the largest political group of the European Right - this will happen within days.
He stressed that European politics must change. That is what the people have said. In 20 out of 27 countries, parties that want change won. The Brussels elites are resisting these decisions, they don't want change. Mr Orban says this is unacceptable. That's why this platform is being created, to effect the change.
Europe's economy is in crisis, there is a threat of terrorism, migration is persistent and there is war in our neighborhood, he said, noting that we are living in the shadow of war escalation.
The people of Europe want peace, order and development, while the elite in Brussels give them war, migration and stagnation. In addition to the unfavorable external circumstances, the bad decisions of Brussels have contributed to this crisis, he said;
They have made the European economy uncompetitive, we are on the brink of a trade war with our most important potential partners and they have botched the green transition, what Brussels is doing is not a green policy, but a deep green poison. This green policy is not a route to healing, but is poisoning us,
the Hungarian PM underlined, adding that prices are much higher than they were before and this is destroying the economy.
Political change has begun in Europe, Mr Orban said, arguing that several European governments have had to resign as a consequence of the European election results, proving that democracy is truly possible within a national framework.
The national governments were forced to yield to the people's decision and have resigned, the Brussels elite is resisting because Brussels is not a democratic construct. In this situation, it is our duty to effectuate the will of the electorate. There are three political parties sitting before you. The strongest Austrian, the strongest Czech and the strongest Hungarian party, and we responsibly undertake to launch this new platform and the new parliamentary group,
Victor Orban explained, adding "this will be the strongest right-wing grouping in European politics".
The Patriot Manifesto lays out the goals their work will focus on. Mr Orban also noted that in the political arena some things are done differently in Hungary than is customary in Brussels.
We do not support migration. We stop illegal migration. We advocate the traditional family model. We believe in national sovereignty. Important ideals are the reason why Hungary is an island of diversity in the European liberal sea, but this is not enough. I learned from President Babis that this is not enough. We need one more thing, without which these ideals will not work in politics. That one key ingredient that he has pointed out most clearly in Europe is success. Good governance,
the Hungarian PM revealed and lauded the governance of Andrej Babis.
Former Czech Prime Minister and ANO party leader Andrej Babis in his speech stressed that the three of them have decided to create a new political group in the European Parliament as they are united by three main priorities. These are the defense of sovereignty, the fight against illegal migration and the revision of the Green Deal. They firmly believe that they want a Europe of independent nation states, not a federation dominated by Brussels. They are determined to stop illegal migration, to change the EU's pact. "We need to develop rules that protect our national borders and stop people smuggling," the Czech politician said. It is also very important to revise the green deal to have a more balanced approach to this issue, taking into account economic development and not endanger the EU's competitiveness.
This cooperation is open to all like-minded parties and individuals,
the former Czech PM stated.
Andrej Babis stressed that together we can create a stronger and more resilient Europe, able to better defend the interests of all its citizens. The Czech politician, who was introduced by Herbert Kickl as the most likely next prime minister of the Czech Republic, explained that while preserving cultural identity in European countries, it is important to strengthen the sovereignty of each member state.
Former PM Babis stressed that EU environmental protection policy has to take greater account of economic development so as not to jeopardize the Community's competitiveness.
Technically sound, economically viable and socially just solutions must be sought out. The Czech politician therefore proposed lifting the ban on combustion engines, supporting EU energy independence and ensuring that all energy technologies are judged with equal vigor.
The Patriot Manifesto was ceremoniously signed at the end of the press conference.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, president of Fidesz, adopted the Patriot Manifesto for the future of Europe in Vienna on Sunday morning, together with Herbert Kickl, president of the Austrian Freedom Party, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, president of the ANO party, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister's press chief, told MTI and also made the signed document available.
According to the Patriot Manifesto, the nations of Europe have arrived at a historic turning point. The European Union, once a dream project rooted in a desire for reconciliation after the devastation caused by two world wars and decades of division, has turned against Europeans and now represents interests that are at odds with the will of nations, regions and the small communities that make up our European homeland.
Institutions foreign to and distant from European citizens, together with powerful globalist forces, unelected bureaucrats, lobby and interest groups that ignore the voice of the majority and the broader popular democracy, are planning to replace nations. And their tool to achieve this? A European centralized state, the manifesto reads.
The most recent European Parliament elections in June therefore had both generational and existential significance,
the manifesto continues. The political divide is no longer between conservatives and liberals, or Right and Left, but between centrists - the harbingers of a new European 'superstate' - and patriots or sovereignists, 'fighting to preserve and strengthen the European nations we cherish. Only through the victory and cooperation of the patriotic and sovereignist parties of the continent can we guarantee the heritage for our children," says the document, which then goes on to describe the kind of Europe its signatories believe in.
They write:
We believe in a Europe: comprised of strong, proud and independent nations; of nations free to choose to live and work together in harmony;
that works together through institutions rooted in the nations; institutions that act on behalf of and are accountable to the peoples of Europe;
that is sovereign and unwaveringly defends its interests, free from any dependency that would hinder the implementation of the will of its national communities, whether domestically or abroad;
that is committed to peace and dialogue, while remaining ready to defend itself against all threats;
that defends and celebrates its European identity, its traditions and customs and the fruits of its Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian heritage;
that cherishes the inherent diversity of its nations, their history and their way of life, while resisting ultimatums aimed at changing them according to the latest fashionable trends.
According to the manifesto, Europe is to be: a defender of genuine rights to freedom, fundamental rights and human dignity, while emphatically resisting any attempt to limit or reinterpret these freedoms; competitive, productive, efficient and proud of its intellectual, scientific and economic achievements as a continent of innovation, excellence and progress. The signatories believe in a vision of Europe that is determined to defend its borders, stop illegal migration and preserve its cultural identity, in line with the will of the overwhelming majority of European citizens; that is made up of nations ready to defend their peoples against any and all potential threats, be they political, economic, religious or cultural.
Their Europe respects its own mandate and rules, does not overstep its competences, observes the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, and will no longer justify its attacks on national sovereignty by exerting pressure through the European budget; is a group of nations that rejects any further transfer of national sovereignty to European institutions; respects nations' right to veto; recognizes diplomacy as an essential element of the sovereignty of its member states and as a matter which each nation can freely decide without being forced to comply with others.
The Manifesto concludes with a pledge by European patriotic forces to give the future of the continent back to the European people.
We will take back our institutions and steer European policy in a direction that serves our nations and our peoples. We will prioritize sovereignty over federalism, freedom over dictates, and peace: this is the manifesto of the patriots serving Europe,
the document signed in Vienna on Sunday closes.
Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister and Fidesz President Viktor Orban (left) shakes hands with Herbert Kickl (right), president of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO), with ANO Party President and former Czech Prime Minister Andej Babis in the background before the start of their meeting in Vienna on June 30, 2024. (Photo: MTI/Minister's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)
