French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday launched scathing attacks on the EU at a rally in France aimed at flaunting the unity and strength of the anti-immigration wing of European politics.
Aimed at marking one year since Le Pen's National Rally (RN) crushed opponents to win their best-ever vote share in European elections, the get-together in Mormant-sur-Vernisson south of Paris brought together far-right leaders from across Europe.
The mood was buoyant and confident in the wake of Donald Trump's return to the White House earlier this year and strong election results across the continent.
Orban, reveling in his self-proclaimed status as the "black sheep of the EU" and "Brussels' nightmare", likened European migration policy to "an organized exchange of populations to replace the cultural base" of the continent.
Boasting of having been able to "push back migrants" in his country, even if it meant incurring sanctions from Brussels, Orban told the several thousands present: "We will not let them destroy our cities."
Le Pen, in her speech, described the European Union as a "graveyard of politically unfulfilled promises" and termed it "woke and ultra-liberal".
"We don't want to leave the table. We want to finish the game and win, to take power in France and in Europe and give it back to the people," she said.
Her party previously backed France's exit from the EU. But now it preaches European reform while remaining a member as Le Pen seeks to make the party electable and shake off the legacy of her late father Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Other attendees included Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the League party Matteo Salvini, the leader of Spain's Vox party Santiago Abascal and former Czech premier Andrej Babis.
They are all part of the Patriots for Europe faction in the European parliament, one of no less than three competing far-right factions in the chamber.
Salvini meanwhile described migration as a "threat" to Europe.
"The threat to our children is an invasion of illegal immigrants, mainly Islamists, financed and organized in the silence of Brussels," he affirmed from the podium, calling on European "patriots" to "work together" to "take back control of the destiny and future of Europe."
In a sign of the controversy over the meeting, some 4,000 people from the left, hard left and trade unions protested in the nearby town of Montargis, according to organizers, vowing to "build resistance" and proclaiming the far-right leaders were "not welcome".
"You have here the worst of the racist and xenophobic European far-right that we know only too well," said French hard-left MEP Manon Aubry.
The meeting also comes less than two years ahead of watershed presidential elections in France where President Emmanuel Macron, who has long promoted himself as a bulwark against the far-right, cannot stand again and the RN sees its best ever chance of taking power.
But it is far from certain if Le Pen will stand for a fourth time as her conviction earlier this year in a fake jobs scandal disqualifies her from standing from public office.
She has appealed. But waiting in the wings is her protege and RN party leader Jordan Bardella, 29, who would stand if Le Pen was ineligible.
Bardella, who polls have shown would still be set to win the first round of presidential elections if he stands, is taking care to project his image including a long TV interview with star anchor Karine Le Marchand aimed at showing his softer side.
"We reject the Europe of Ursula von der Leyen," Bardella told the rally, referring to the chief of the EU Commission. "We reject the Europe of Macron... We represent the rebirth of a true Europe."
As well as Le Pen's legal limbo, the contours of the French 2027 presidential election remain largely unclear, with center-right former prime minister Edouard Philippe the only major player to clearly state he will stand.
Orban urged the RN to emerge triumphant from the elections.
"Without you, we will not be able to occupy Brussels (...) We will not be able to save Hungary from the Brussels guillotine," said Orban.
