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At a gathering in Madrid, members of Europe’s far-right parties set aside any trepidation they might have about President Trump’s threats and instead focused on a common enemy: the European Union.
A rally on Saturday in Madrid hosted by Spain’s hard-right Vox party. The event featured appearances by far-right leaders, including Viktor Orban of Hungary and Marine Le Pen of France. Credit… Ana Beltran/Reuters Published Feb. 8, 2025 Updated Feb. 9, 2025, 11:18 a.m. ET
Since taking office, President Trump has threatened European countries’ security and economies, angled to take control of Greenland and promised to “definitely” slap the nations with tariffs. Even parties that would seem to be his natural allies are nervous. Some have quietly tiptoed back from the American president.
But Saturday was not the day for disputes. Leaders of far-right parties in Europe came to Madrid for what, on the surface at least, amounted to a boldface names booster rally for a new Trump era.
There was Marine Le Pen of France’s far-right National Rally; the Netherlands’ populist Geert Wilders; the leader of Italy’s League party, Matteo Salvini. All made clear that they shared Mr. Trump’s charge against what they see as “wokeism,” “gender theory” and overweening environmentalism.
For them, the American president had blown through the last barriers that had confined their parties to the political margins. The taboos had been toppled.
“Trump’s tornado has changed the world in just a couple of weeks,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary told his allies from the stage of the summit whose slogan was “Make Europe Great Again.”
“Yesterday we were the heretics,” he said. “Now we are the mainstream.”
From top left, clockwise: Marine Le Pen; Santiago Abascal with Viktor Orban; Matteo Salvini; Andre Ventura with Geert Wilders. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
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