Overview
- Marine Le Pen organized the ‚Patriots for Europe‘ gathering in Mormant-sur-Vernisson, drawing around 5,000 attendees and major far-right figures.
- Viktor Orban, Matteo Salvini and Santiago Abascal joined Jordan Bardella to condemn EU migration policies as an “invasion” at the event.
- Le Pen’s March conviction for misusing EU funds carries a five-year ban on her passive suffrage, with a pending appeal scheduled for next year.
- The event was explicitly designed to demonstrate popular backing and to influence the French justice system’s decision on Le Pen’s participation in the 2027 presidential election.
- Despite the show of solidarity, key parties such as Germany’s AfD remain excluded from the Patriots for Europe faction, underscoring divisions within Europe’s right-wing bloc.