New Le Pen – Salvini meeting, but a far-right group is still far away

Many thought this would have been the ‘big day’ for Marine Le Pen: she was supposed to make the official presentation of her group, composed of the parties with which she held negotiations lately. Nothing like this at all. The far-right group is still far away, and there’s much to do – it will be very hard to participate any official presentation – if any – before the deadline for the creation of groups, June 24.

Earlier today, the head of the Northern League, Matteo Salvini, has landed in Brussels: “I’m meeting Le Pen and other allies, time to make things started!” he tweeted in the morning – feeding the fantasies of those waiting for the ‘imminent’ group. But it was just a moment of dialogue, and they will need more of them in the future (the next on Monday, or so it seems) to continue the negotiations, intense and far from a conclusion. “It was a business meeting: the possible name of the future group, that could be ‘Europe of Nations and Liberties’, and we started working at a possible statute,” said the head of the Northern League delegation, Lorenzo Fontana, after the meeting.

But the main issue deals with potential adhesions. “So far there are five confirmed parties,” said Fontana, “and we are negotiating with other five. Good perspectives, but there’s still much to do: I do not think there will be any official presentation before June 24.” According to the Northern League representatives, there are ongoing talks with Polish, Bulgarian, Swedish, Rumanian and Lithuanian parties. The two Lithuanian MEPs elected with Order and Justice are part of a riddle – they are currently part of the EFD, with Nigel Farage, but they were also said to be a ‘safe partner’ of Marine Le Pen. The latter rumour was denied by the two MEPs and by the EFD group as well. In the meantime, the Northern League reassured that negotiations are actually going on, at least with one of the elected Lithuanian politician, interested in the new parliamentary force.

Without taking into account the ongoing talks, there’s a sure thing: the parties confirming their adhesion to Marine Le Pen’s group are still five -the same she had already presented weeks ago. She just need two more parties, but the pace is discouraging, considering that, on the other side, Nigel Farage, UKIP leader, is getting ready to convince uncertain MEPs to be on his side.