#epp-and-far-right-influence

#epp-and-far-right-influence

I hope that colleagues like Orban will not become accomplices of Putin and Lukashenko. Because if he blocks the EU 90 billion intended for us, for weapons-which, by the way, are not his money-then from a historical perspective, Orban will become an ally of the fascist Russian regime.

Early results show that the far-right candidate Louis Aliot has held the town of Perpignan with 51.4 percent of the vote, while the centre-right mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart has also been re-elected with 59.5 percent. In the town of Vernon in the greater Paris region, mayor Francois Ouzilleau - a close ally of prime minister Sebastien Lecornu - was also re-elected in the first round.

As Donald Trump redoubled his war of words on the European Union and Nato in recent weeks, a senior state department official, Sarah B Rogers, was publicly attacking policies on hate speech and immigration by ostensible US allies, and promoting far-right parties abroad. Rogers has arguably become the public face of the Trump administration's growing hostility to European liberal democracies.

In a Paris courtroom, the first act of the 2027 French presidential election is already under way. On Tuesday Marine Le Pen began to answer judges' questions in her appeal against a conviction relating to the embezzlement of European parliament funds. If she wins, the far-right leader will be free to run for the presidency for a fourth time. If the sentence is upheld, her 30-year-old protege, Jordan Bardella, is almost certain to take her place in the race.

Discussion was tough and rough, but Viktor is still not budging, one European official told Reuters. Another official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential discussions between leaders, said that everyone is increasingly angry with Orban.

Orban is currently facing a tough re-election fight against opposition leader Peter Magyar, who has presented the first realistic challenge to Orban's grip on power in years. Last week, President Donald Trump posted a glowing endorsement on his Truth Social account, calling Orban a a truly strong and powerful Leader who fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America.

Political orthodoxy tells us that younger voters tend to be more progressive on issues like immigration. But in recent years, Europe has seen anti-migrant parties surge in the polls and gain youth support across the continent. In Norway, for example, survey data shows that 24 percent of young people favour limiting immigration "to a large extent" and 23 percent "to some extent."