Le Pen calls Czech PM Babiš an important EU ally after Brussels talks

French politician Marine Le Pen has called Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš “an important ally” in the European Union. She said so on the social network X after meeting him in Brussels on Wednesday, during a summit of leaders of the Patriots for Europe group.

According to Le Pen, Babiš, as a committed partner of the group, will help make the voice of nations heard and ensure that European policy serves the interests of people. The politicians also discussed the EU’s multiannual financial framework for 2028–2034. In Le Pen’s view, the European Commission wants to speed up the adoption of the plan so that it can be approved before important democratic events in Europe.

In Brussels, the French presidential candidate also met former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, Belgian far-right politician Tom Van Grieken and the leader of Spain’s Vox party, Santiago Abascal. She wished Abascal luck in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament includes France’s National Rally, Hungary’s Fidesz, Matteo Salvini’s Lega in Italy, Spain’s Vox, the Czech ANO movement, Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom from the Netherlands and Belgium’s Vlaams Belang. Austria’s Freedom Party and Portugal’s Chega are also members. The group has 85 MEPs in total and is the third largest after the European People’s Party and the Socialists and Democrats.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz