French, Austrian far-right parties 'Zionist': Hungary's Jobbik

(BUDAPEST) - The French National Front and Austrian Freedom Party were called "Zionist" by the leader of Hungary's Jobbik party Thursday, as far-right parties jostled to form blocs in the European parliament.

"Jobbik does not make alliances with Zionist parties - like the French National Front and the Austrian Freedom Party, simply for financial reasons," Gabor Vona said in an interview with the Magyar Hirlap newspaper.

Jobbik, who won three of Hungary's 21 seats at last month's European parliament elections, also ruled out allying with the Geert Wilders-led Dutch Party for Freedom, which he said "humiliated religion".

A bid by French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to set up a eurosceptic grouping in the parliament - which would bring extra EU financing and other advantages - fell short of garnering enough support by Tuesday's deadline.

After the parliament's first session on July 1 however a group can be formed at any time, and Le Pen, who earlier ruled out any alliance with extremist parties like Greece's Golden Dawn and Jobbik, vowed Wednesday to form a bloc by the end of the year.

In an interview with the Budapest Times newspaper earlier this year Jobbik's Marton Gyongyosi called Le Pen and Wilders "liberal" and "Islamophobic" and said their anti-immigration stance had "Zionist support from Israel".