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Le Pen in Brussels calls Czech PM Babiš an ally, rules out Ukraine aid

Le Pen in Brussels: Babiš is our ally, France can no longer pay for Ukraine
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French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has called Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš an important ally in the European Union. In her words, he will help defend the interests of individual nations and steer European policy in favour of its citizens. Le Pen wrote about it on the social network X and attached a photo from her meeting with the Czech prime minister in Brussels.

On Wednesday, Babiš took part in a meeting of the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, which includes his governing ANO movement. He then went on to talks of the Visegrád Group (Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary), organised by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country currently chairs the group.

What is being discussed in Brussels

These countries also belong to the Friends of Cohesion group. They advocate keeping a strong cohesion policy and agricultural policy within the EU's multiannual budget. The draft of the new long-term budget will be one of the main topics of the two-day EU summit that begins in Brussels on Thursday.

Speaking to journalists, Le Pen said that France can no longer give money to support Ukraine. “We can no longer finance Ukraine,” she said at the Patriots meeting. “France is in an extremely dangerous situation,” she added, citing the large budget deficit and weak economic growth. In her view, Paris's role should be taken over by other EU countries that do not have such financial problems.

Le Pen also posted photos from meetings with Tom Van Grieken, head of the Belgian far-right party Vlaams Belang, Viktor Orbán, the former Hungarian prime minister and leader of Fidesz, and Santiago Abascal, head of Spain's Vox. She wished the Spanish politician luck in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Who belongs to the Patriots

The Patriots for Europe group includes France's National Rally, Fidesz, Matteo Salvini's Italian League, Vox, ANO, Geert Wilders' Dutch Party for Freedom, Vlaams Belang, the Austrian Freedom Party, Portugal's Chega and others. In total the group has 85 MEPs, making it the third largest after the European People's Party and the Socialists and Democrats.

According to polls, Le Pen is the favourite in the first round of France's presidential election, scheduled for 18 April next year.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz

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