Far-right European parties forge alliance

(BUDAPEST) - A handful of European nationalist political parties have formed an alliance to represent them in Brussels, Gabor Vona, head of Hungary's far-right party Jobbik announced on Saturday.

The Alliance of European National Movements so far includes along Hungary's Jobbik, France's Front National, Italy's Fiamma Tricolore, the National Democrat Party of Sweden and the National Front of Belgium, Vona said.

Negotiations are underway with like-minded Austrian, British, Spanish and Portuguese parties, Vona added.

"The alliance is going to become an official, European party to be registered in Belgium or Strasbourg," said Jobbik's vice president Zoltan Balczo, a member of the European Parliament.

In a nine-point statement, the alliance rejects all initiatives aimed at creating a federal state in Europe, and calls for Europe to be protected from "religious, political, economic or financial imperialism".

Jobbik, known for its anti-Semitism and anti-Roma rhetoric, garnered 14.7 percent of the Hungarian vote in EU elections in June, enabling it to take three seats in the European Parliament.

It hopes to win places in the Hungarian parliament when national elections take place in early 2010.