With 30 seats, the National Rally now holds the largest representation in the European Parliament across all parties and nationalities. At the political group level, however, the far-right group Identity and Democracy (ID) finished fifth in the European elections, while the European People's Party (EPP) remains the largest faction.
Jean-Paul Garraud, the chair of the National Rally delegation to the European Parliament, who spoke to Euronews on the Radio Schuman podcast, said that their large group represents a rise in sovereignty across Europe. According to Garraud, European voters have realised the daily impact of key issues in this election, such as immigration and energy.
Now, the focus is on negotiating with other groups to expand ID, with Marine Le Pen reaching out to Giorgia Meloni to form a "super-group" in the European Parliament. Leaders from the far-right, including Le Pen, Italy's Matteo Salvini, and others, recently met in Brussels to discuss their strategy.
"I have also established excellent contacts with other groups, such as the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)," says Jean-Paul Garraud, chairman of the National Rally delegation to the European Parliament. He also mentions closer ties with Spain's Vox and Poland's PiS.
However. the reintegration of the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was excluded from the Identity and Democracy group in May, is not on the agenda according to Garraud.
"I was chairman of the delegation to the group that decided to exclude the AfD. So that's where we are and that's where we're staying", he said.
Garraud expressed his satisfaction that the "cordon sanitaire," which previously limited the far-right's influence in the European Parliament, has now been breached, giving his group more influence over the European agenda.
Watch the video above for the full report.
