BBC
November 14, 2013
The Eurosceptic Dutch politician Geert Wilders and French National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen have launched what they call an “historic” alliance for next year’s European elections.
Mr Wilders said they had agreed on the need to repatriate from Brussels the power to control their countries’ borders and economies.
They held strategy talks in The Hague.
Both leaders say Europe’s political elite has been too tolerant of Islam and both want to curb immigration.
Ms Le Pen, a Euro MP, visited the Dutch parliament with Mr Wilders. His party lost almost half of its seats in the September 2012 Dutch election, but it is doing well now in opinion polls.
Eurosceptics are widely expected to make significant gains in the European elections in May, as debt-laden EU countries struggle to revive their anaemic economies.
“The time of patriotic movements being divided is over,” said Ms Le Pen, calling it “an historic day”.
“Today is the start of the liberation of Europe from the monster of Brussels,” said Mr Wilders, who heads the Freedom Party (PVV).