‘We are not provinces of an empire’ — Marine Le Pen at Patriots’ Summit

Over the weekend, the Patriots for Europe (PfE) gathered in France to celebrate the anniversary of the electoral success that members of the political group achieved a year ago in the European Parliament elections. Patriot leaders first gathered in Fontainebleau (south of Paris) to outline a sovereigntist vision for Europe. A day later, a larger rally took place in the town of Mormant-sur-Vernisson with the participation of a series of conservative leaders from all across Europe.

Fontainebleau Declaration

During the Leaders’ Summit in Fontainebleau on 8 June 2025, PfE heads issued a joint statement in which they ‘reaffirmed their desire to work together to make Europe a continent of power, peace and freedom once again.’ Leaders expressed their concerns that the ‘failed policies’ of Brussels harm the European economy and competitiveness, and as a result, Europe risks losing its global influence. The Patriots also reiterated their commitment to ‘peace being the priority’, declaring that in ‘contrast to the rhetoric calling for sending troops to Ukraine, Europe must play a mediating and facilitating role in order to end the conflict in the region.’

While advocating for the enhancement of the defence capabilities of Member States, the Patriots strongly rejected the idea of sending troops to Ukraine and they highlighted the dangers of Ukraine’s EU accession—see Hungarian Conservative for more details.

Rally in Mormant-sur-Vernisson

A day after the Patriot leaders shared their vision for a stronger Europe in Fontainebleau, on 9 June 2025, a larger crowd, around 6,000 people, gathered in the French commune of Mormant-sur-Vernisson to mark the ‘Victory Day’, that is, the anniversary of the 2024 EP elections. In the 2024 European Parliament elections, right-wing parties made considerable gains in multiple European countries. In Hungary, with over 2 million votes, Fidesz achieved its strongest ever result in an EP election. In Austria, the PfE group member, Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), also came first in the race, securing support from one-fourth of the electorate. Achieving a remarkable victory in France, the National Rally (RN) came first in the electoral race, increasing its number of votes by 2.5 million compared to its 2019 EP results. As RN humiliated its challengers in the electoral race, shortly after the elections, the French parliament had to be dissolved.

To better coordinate their efforts, European patriotic parties established the Patriots for Europe group in the summer of 2024, which soon became the third-largest force in the EP. As a result of their electoral success, the PfE now holds 85 of the 720 seats in the European Parliament, with ambitions of becoming the second largest group in the EP.

‘France needs Marine, and Europe needs France back’

Both the summit in Fontainebleau and the rally in Mormant-sur-Vernisson were attended by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, president of the Vox party Santiago Abascal, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella from the National Rally, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini from Italy and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš from the Czech Republic. Patriots celebrated the anniversary of their widening popularity and legitimacy with left-wing protestors demonstrating against the rally in the nearby town of Montargis, proclaiming the PfE ‘far-right’ and ‘not welcome’.

In her speech at the summit, Marine Le Pen spoke of the respect European nations deserve: ‘We are nations with history, with Christian heritage, with Roman law and Greek philosophy. Europe is not a technocratic machine: it is our home.’ Underlying the dignity of European nations, the French politician emphasized that: ‘We are not provinces of an empire’. The leader of the National Rally advocated for a Europe based on voluntary cooperation between sovereign nations rather than ‘the transformation of the EU into a unitary state that strips Member States of their competencies’. Criticizing the Commission’s technocratic leadership, Le Pen highlighted that ‘Brussels’ ultra-liberalism’ handed Europe over to ‘anarchic immigration laws’ that the Patriots reject. She characterized the EU as a ‘graveyard of politically unfulfilled promises’.

The gathering in France took place about three months after a French court barred Marine Le Pen from running in the 2027 presidential election. Le Pen—who is leading the polls—and the RN denounced the ruling as a ‘political decision’ that violates the rule of law, while Le Pen also legally challenged the verdict. RN party President Jordan Bardella said the ruling tries to ‘prevent [Le Pen’s] accession to the Elysée by any means necessary’. In light of the judicial procedures Le Pen is facing, Patriot leaders showed remarkable solidarity and unity with their French ally. Spanish Santiago Abascal opened his speech by stating: ‘Marine will be president. They won’t be able to stop it. And that day will be a joyful day for all Europeans, because France needs Marine, and Europe needs France back.’ Abascal’s comments to the crowd in Mormant-sur-Vernisson came just a day after Marine Le Pen was named honorary president of the Patriots group in Fontainebleau.

‘[The EU is] a graveyard of politically unfulfilled promises’

Joining Abascal’s encouraging words, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán praised Marine Le Pen as a ‘tireless leader’ and a ‘courageous fighter’. Orbán also put faith in RN’s ability to win the 2027 French presidential election despite the legal challenges its leadership now faces: ‘Without you, we will not be able to occupy Brussels…We will not be able to save Hungary from the Brussels guillotine,’ said the Hungarian Prime Minister. He emphasized: ‘If we stand together, we will be strong and we will prevail.’ In addition to expressing support for Le Pen and stressing the importance of cooperation, Viktor Orbán also called out the Brussels-led militarization and further involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán characterized Hungary in his speech as the ‘nightmare of the European Union’ but also the ‘last bastion of Christian Europe’, urging European conservatives to stand united to win back the continent.

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