Month: April 2026

At the 50th plenary session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, a new political group — “Patriots for Europe in Congress” — was formed. It brings together representatives from six countries: Georgia (the ruling Georgian Dream party), Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy and Spain.

The group is led by Anna Magyar, a representative of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Vice-presidents include Nino Vardosanidze, a member of the Georgian delegation, and Czech politician Richard Vereš. In total, the group consists of 29 delegates representing various national and local political structures.

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‘Sovereignty’ as the central theme

In statements by the new group, the idea of sovereignty takes centre stage. Its representatives say the aim is to strengthen cooperation among “patriotic” and “sovereigntist” politicians, particularly on issues of national security.

The group sees itself as a platform within the Congress to voice alternative political views, including on migration, security and the role of the state in international affairs. These positions largely echo a discourse that has gained momentum in recent years among European right-wing and far-right parties.

“We prefer national sovereignty to federalism, freedom to directives, and peace to war,” the group says in its “Patriotic Manifesto”, which also expresses a commitment to protecting borders and stopping illegal migration.

A ‘younger brother‘

The “Patriots for Europe in Congress” group is directly linked to an existing political alliance in the European Parliament — “Patriots for Europe”. According to the group itself, the new formation is a “younger brother” of that alliance and follows the same values.

The European Parliament alliance was formed in 2024 with the participation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, Austria’s Freedom Party and the Czech ANO party. It was later joined by other right-wing and nationalist forces, including France’s National Rally and Italy’s League.

The key slogans of this “political family” include prioritising national sovereignty, scepticism towards further EU federalisation, and a hardline stance on migration. At the same time, the group is seen as holding a favourable attitude towards Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.

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Georgian Dream in search of partners

The participation of Georgian Dream in the new group comes as the party has spent several years outside any European “political family”. In 2023, it left the Party of European Socialists, after which it remained without an affiliated political platform.

Joining the new grouping may be seen as an attempt to find new ideological and institutional partners in Europe. At the same time, the move points to a possible shift in the party’s positioning towards a political spectrum where themes of sovereignty, national interests and a critical stance towards the European Union dominate.

A controversial alliance

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party was suspended in 2019 from the European People’s Party (EPP), the EU’s main centre-right grouping, and left it entirely in 2021, after which it too remained without a clear political home.

In 2024, together with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Czech ANO movement led by Andrej Babiš, it formed the “Patriots for Europe” alliance.

However, the composition of Patriots for Europe is not uniform. Its members often hold differing positions on foreign policy and EU enlargement. The alliance includes politicians known both for pro-Russian statements and for sharp criticism of EU institutions.

The creation of the new group in Strasbourg therefore reflects not only an institutional development, but also a broader trend in European politics — the consolidation of sovereigntist and nationalist forces.

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Patriots for Europe in Congress group