French far-right sees Meloni as weak on immigration fight

Paris (France), Jan 15 (EFE) - (Camera: Edgar Sapiña Manchado) The leader for the European elections of the French far-right party National Rally (RN, the bloc of Marine Le Pen), Jordan Bardella, considered Monday that the Italian government of the ultra-nationalist Giorgia Meloni has not been firm enough against immigration.

FOOTAGE OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE FAR-RIGHT NATIONAL GROUPING PARTY TO CONGRATULATE JOURNALISTS WITH THE PRESENCE OF MARINE LE PEN, HEAD OF THE NATIONAL GROUPING PARLIAMENTARY GROUP IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, AND SOUNDBITES OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PARTY AND CANDIDATE FOR THE 2024 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS, JORDAN BARDELLA.

1. We have been working for several months and several years to expand the Identity and Democracy Group. As you know, we have intensified our contacts not only with our current allies who have sat in the Idea Group during the last months, but also with potential partners not only at the end of the European elections, but also in case of victory of Marine in the presidential elections of 2027, We have been in contact for several, several months, obviously with the Fidesz of Viktor Orbán, who is now out of these 2 political forces in the European Parliament, and with our partners of Vox in Spain, who sit in the ECR group, with whom we have contacts. Santiago Abascal received Marine Le Pen during the presidential campaign. We regularly organize joint events in the European Parliament, including conferences on Jean-Paul Garraud.

It is very difficult for me to give you an answer before the European elections because it is very complicated to project what the European Parliament will be like after the European elections, even before you have voted, given the complexity of the voting systems in the different member states. So our goal is to broaden the base of our ads, and will the 2 groups merge? I don't know.

2. I believe that the slim margins available to Ms. Meloni, widely underlined by observers over the past year, are because Italy's financial and demographic situation - let's not forget the 2nd part - gives her much less room for maneuver than a country like France.

I believe that, in monetary terms, it has in any case managed to stabilize Italy's spread and that precisely the measures it has taken have allowed it to limit the increase in interest rates and the spread it had with Germany.

3., if 2 countries can change European integration has political, budgetary, and financial weight it is France and Germany that can do it, and that is why I think it is the right thing to do.

This push for a new treaty, because in concrete terms, when we say the Europe of Nations, of cooperation and projects, it consists in offering and proposing a new treaty to the European countries. In the coming years, it can only come from France. Our responsibility is therefore twofold, French and European.