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Portuguese Right-Wing Party Chega to Join Orban's Alliance in European Parliament

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The leader of Portugal's right-wing Chega party, Andre Ventura, has announced that he will join the new right-wing Patriots for Europe alliance in the European Parliament consisting of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPOe) and the Czech Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO).
Sputnik
"We were invited to join this group from the very beginning," Ventura was quoted as saying by the Lusa news agency on Sunday.
He said the group could unite right-wing parties in the fight against socialism, uncontrolled immigration, corruption and the high tax burden imposed on the middle class. He said this could happen in the coming hours or days.
This is a "historic opportunity" to create the second largest group in the parliament, Ventura said. He added that Lisbon was "one of the first to express its support for the creation of this alternative," which will be "a great platform for the right-wing."
Ventura will reportedly ask the party's top brass on Tuesday to convene a national congress to discuss joining the new group in the European Parliament.
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On Sunday, FPO head Herbert Kickl, ANO leader Andrej Babis and Fidesz' Viktor Orban announced the creation of the Patriots for Europe to "return the future of [Europe] to the European people." Orban said the Patriots were projected to become the largest right-wing faction in the European Parliament in a few days.
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