Patriots for Europe
Right-wing European Parliament group led by Orbán and Le Pen's parties, one of three that forced the digital-euro floor vote
Last refreshed: 16 July 2026
Why did a hard-right group founded by Orbán and Le Pen fight over a digital-euro procedure?
Timeline for Patriots for Europe
Forced the floor vote by challenging ECON's procedural decision
European Tech Sovereignty: Right forces digital euro to the floorWho leads Patriots for Europe?
When was Patriots for Europe formed?
Why did Patriots for Europe oppose the digital-euro process?
Background
Patriots for Europe was one of three right-wing groups, alongside the European Conservatives and Reformists and Europe of Sovereign Nations, that forced the 9 July digital-euro floor vote by challenging ECON's decision to skip it, a vote the mandate still cleared 416-169 .
The group was formed in July 2024, initiated by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz, Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ) under Herbert Kickl, and the Czech ANO movement led by Andrej Babiš. Marine Le Pen's French National Rally (RN) joined shortly afterwards and became its largest single national delegation. The group emerged as one of the largest forces in the European Parliament following the 2024 elections, positioned to the right of the European Conservatives and Reformists on issues including migration, EU integration and national sovereignty.
The digital-euro procedural challenge shows Patriots for Europe using its parliamentary weight on a technical monetary-policy question, part of a wider pattern of the hard right contesting EU tech and financial sovereignty measures.