EU’s right demands fresh ‘Reconquista’ towards ‘Islamist advance’

(MENAFN) Right-wing leaders from across Europe have called for a modern "Reconquista" to defend Europe’s traditional values and cultural identity, criticizing the EU’s migration policies. The remarks were made during a high-profile rally in Madrid hosted by the Patriots for Europe group, the third-largest bloc in the EU Parliament. The event, attended by figures such as Santiago Abascal of Spain’s Vox party, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Marine Le Pen of France’s National Rally, focused on opposing Islamism, EU bureaucracy, globalism, and left-wing “woke policies.”

The term “Reconquista,” historically associated with the Christian kingdoms’ efforts to reclaim Spain from Muslim rule during the Middle Ages, was central to the rally. Abascal drew a parallel between the historical campaign and today’s political struggle, declaring that Spain and Europe must once again become the “wall” defending against the “Islamist advance.”

Martin Helme, leader of Estonia's Conservative People’s Party, echoed this sentiment, calling for a new Reconquista to protect Europe’s Christian civilization from what he described as a "sick satanic utopia" promoted by globalist elites. Orban, a staunch critic of the EU’s migration policies, argued that Europe’s population was being intentionally replaced, and that liberal ideologies had been dealt a significant blow by Trump’s rise to power in the US. Le Pen called for a "renaissance of Europe" through unity among right-wing forces.

Right-wing parties across the EU have seen increasing popularity in recent years, driven by public dissatisfaction with rising immigration, particularly from Africa and the Middle East, as well as economic challenges.

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