Trump's Influence Looms Over Patriots in Madrid: "Vox Serves as the Link Between Far-Right Movements in Europe and America"
The European far-right coalition "Patriots for Europe" (PfE) is set to gather in Madrid this Friday and Saturday for a significant summit. Hosted by Vox, the Spanish far-right party led by Santiago Abascal, the event aims to demonstrate unity and outline the group's strategy.
The summit will see key figures of the European far-right in attendance, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Marine Le Pen from France, Geert Wilders of the Netherlands, Matteo Salvini from Italy, and Andrej Babiš of the Czech Republic. The Catholic cathedral of La Almudena will serve as a symbol for the summit.
Vox, known as the bridge connecting PfE with the transatlantic far-right, has been cultivating relations with the MAGA world for years. The group presented its Iberosphere project in the US in 2020, appealing to hardline Republicans due to its implication of reduced Chinese influence on Latin America.
Abascal, who was elected president of Patriots for Europe, will act as host for the Madrid meeting. The leaders of the coalition will dine with top executives of the Heritage Foundation, an ultraconservative think tank that was one of the most powerful ideological factories of the new US administration.
The summit's motto, MEGA (Make Europe Great Again, Let's Make Europe Great Again), is a paraphrase of Donald Trump's MAGA (Make America Great Again). The gathering seeks to impose its agenda on the international scene, citing Trump's victory as an example.
The PfE political agenda centers on opposing the EU’s Green Deal and climate policies, advocating for more national sovereignty, and rejecting what they view as the "disastrous policies" of previous European Commission leadership. They promote a competitive Europe that stands against illegal migration, demands more transparency and accountability from EU institutions, and challenges the current direction on climate neutrality, calling for suspension and significant changes to EU climate targets.
Notably, PfE has gained the role of leading negotiations on the EU’s 2040 climate target in the European Parliament, giving the far-right unprecedented influence over climate policy. This shift breaks a previous "cordon sanitaire" that barred far-right groups from key parliamentary roles and marks their growing political power in the EU.
The group obtained more than 19 million votes in the last elections to the European Parliament and captured 86 MEPs. However, the far-right will not be decisive, holding almost 25% of the seats in the European Parliament.
The main event with speeches from far-right leaders will take place on Saturday, while working meetings are scheduled for Friday. The summit may not outline a program with specific content and policies, seeking instead to show ideological unity based on common sense.
- The average support for the European far-right coalition, Patriots for Europe (PfE), exceeds 19 million votes in recent elections.
- The renewable-energy policies of the EU's Green Deal are a focal point of opposition for the PfE.
- The manufacturing industry in Europe may face changes as the PfE promotes more national sovereignty.
- Finance and energy sectors could witness shifts due to the PfE's stance on European Commission leadership policies.
- The oil-and-gas industry might find greater support within the PfE's competitive Europe agenda.
- Retail businesses may witnesses changes in polices related to immigration and transparency as per the PfE's agenda.
- Public-transit systems might experience alterations in European funding due to the PfE's stance on national sovereignty.
- Entrepreneurship and small-business owners may face changes in regulations as a result of the PfE's growing political power.
- The European automotive industry could potentially see policy changes with the PfE's increased influence.
- Investors might want to consider the shifting policies in the banking-and-insurance sector with the rise of the PfE.
- The aviation industry could be impacted by adjustments in policies related to immigration and national sovereignty.
- The business landscape in Europe may undergo changes, as careers in various sectors could be influenced by the PfE's agenda.
- The March on Washington for Diversity and Inclusion might challenge the agenda of the far-right coalition.
- The PfE summit's MEGA motto mimics Donald Trump's MAGA slogan, seeking to set similar agendas internationally.
- Leaders like Orbán, Le Pen, Wilders, Salvini, and Babiš will gather to discuss strategies for the far-right in Europe.
- The Catholic cathedral of La Almudena symbolizes the unity and leadership of the PfE during the summit.
- The transatlantic far-right has cultivated relationships with the MAGA world, including hardline Republicans.
- The Iberosphere project was presented in the US to appeal to conservative Republicans through its promise of reduced Chinese influence.
- Abascal, president of the PfE, will host the Madrid meeting and dine with top executives from the Heritage Foundation.
- Fintech firms might be impacted by changes in regulations and policies, as the PfE takes on greater influence over EU parliamentary roles.
- Education and self-development programs could see changes based on the PfE's approach to personal growth and lifelong learning.
- Mindfulness and productivity exercises may encounter alterations in implementation due to the PfE's emphasis on traditional values.
- War-and-conflicts policies could be affected as the far-right's growing power in the EU might shift focus towards national security.
- Career-development opportunities in politics could take a unique turn with the increasing influence of the PfE.
- The casino-and-gambling industry might be affected by policy changes in banking-and-insurance regulations.
- Casino-personalities and celebrities could comment on or be involved in the summit, as their opinions might influence the far-right's vision for Europe.
- Policy-and-legislation agendas in Europe could undergo changes as the far-right coalition gains more influence within the European Parliament.
- Online-education platforms could experience regulatory changes, potentially impacting the accessibility of learning materials for students.
- Job-search platforms might have to adapt to changes in employment opportunities and policies due to the PfE's influence.
- General-news outlets, including sports broadcasting channels, could offer coverage on the summit and its potential impact on European policies.
