Leaders of Patriots for Europe, the nationalist and far-right alliance in the European Parliament, convened in Madrid on Saturday, declaring that a significant political shift is

underway. Led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, the gathering reflected the growing influence of Donald Trump, with participants proclaiming, "We are the future!"

Following Trump's playbook

Under the slogan "Make Europe Great Again," a clear reference to Trump’s "Make America Great Again," nationalist figures gathered at the invitation of the Spanish party Vox in a hotel near Madrid's airport. They called for a dramatic shift in European policy, arguing that Trump's rise marks the end of the established political order.

"Since the election of the American president, history has accelerated in both the world and Europe," said Le Pen, leader of France's Rassemblement National. "We are witnessing a fundamental change. The EU appears to be in shock."

Orbán echoed similar sentiments. "The Trump tornado has transformed global politics. An era has ended. Yesterday, we were seen as outsiders; today, we are the mainstream."

The event, which drew an audience of 2,000, featured prominent nationalist leaders, including Geert Wilders, whose PVV recently emerged as the largest party in the Dutch parliamentary elections, former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini (Lega).

Tom Van Grieken, chairman of Belgium's Vlaams Belang, whose party was represented in Madrid by MEP Gerolf Annemans, asserted that "the dominance of traditional European power parties is crumbling. Their panicked reaction to President Trump's victory underscores this reality. Rather than futilely criticizing the U.S., Europe must take control of its own destiny."

However, not all nationalist leaders were present. Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, were notably absent. Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration.

Growing resistance to the far-right

As European far-right leaders gathered in Madrid, opposition to their movement was mounting elsewhere. In Germany, 99-year-old Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg joined an anti-far-right rally in the city of Leer. Just a week prior, Germany's Bundestag had passed a controversial migration reform motion with the backing of the far-right AfD, sparking nationwide protests.

Weinberg, a survivor of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, recently announced his decision to return Germany's highest honor, the Order of Merit. "That I have to witness this at almost 100 years old is beyond belief," he remarked.

While 2,000 nationalists met in Madrid, opposition demonstrations in Germany drew significantly larger crowds. Police estimates reported 200,000 protesters in Munich, with additional rallies taking place in Bremen and Hanover. These protests come just two weeks ahead of Germany’s parliamentary elections, highlighting the deepening divide over the far-right's rise in Europe. Photo by Metropolico.org, Wikimedia commons.