MADRID — Leaders associated with the far-right movement in Europe expressed their support for the agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump during a recent gathering in Madrid, organized by Spain’s Vox party, themed “Make Europe Great Again.”
Attendees included prominent figures like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French National Rally party, among others.
Both Salvini and Santiago Abascal, the president of Vox, downplayed the potential impact of Trump’s proposal to increase tariffs on European imports, arguing that the European Union’s existing regulations and taxes posed a greater threat to the continent’s economic prosperity. Abascal stated, “The great tariff is the Green Deal and the confiscatory taxes of Brussels and socialist governments across Europe.”
In his remarks, Salvini highlighted the looming “historic opportunity” related to Germany’s upcoming election on February 23, where the far-right Alternative for Germany party is currently polling second, trailing only the center-right Union bloc led by Friedrich Merz. He criticized the governing coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, characterizing it as the “most disastrous government of the post-war period.”
The leaders present also discussed the importance of securing Europe’s borders against illegal immigration, despite a reported decrease in irregular crossings into the European Union during 2024, as per data from Frontex, the EU’s border control agency.
Le Pen asserted that Trump’s electoral success heralded a “real change” for Europe, suggesting that the European Union has marginalized the continent in critical areas such as artificial intelligence and other technological advancements.
She emphasized that the European leaders present, part of the Patriots for Europe group, which holds 84 seats in the European Parliament, were in a unique position to engage with the Trump administration. “We are the only ones that can talk with the new Trump administration,” Le Pen declared.
