Wilders, Le Pen, Salvini 'making history'

(ANSA) - Brussels, May 28 - Geert Wilders said Wednesday his Dutch far-right Freedom Party, Italy's anti-immigrant Northern League, and other like-minded Euroskeptic parties "are making history" by joining forces. Wilders was speaking at a press conference in Brussels with Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, France's National Front (FN) chief Marine Le Pen, and leaders of Belgium's regionalist Vlaams Belang and Austria's right-wing FPO. The parties - some of whom upset the establishment in their home countries in European elections at the weekend while others fell short - are aiming to get enough MEPs to forge a new political bloc in the European Parliament. "We know we have to have seven countries to form a bloc, but I'm confident we can do it," said Wilders. In Italy, the Northern League came away with 7% of the vote, which was better than analysts predicted, though far behind the majority Democratic Party (PD) which won a resounding 40%. "I'm proud to sit in this alliance that hopes to oppose everything that's single," said Salvini in Brussels, referring to the single currency. "We're here to oppose the treaties that sell us short. We're not profit, merchandise, or consumers.
    We're people". Among the most dramatic right-wing Euroskeptic wins in Europe came in France, where Le Pen's FN won with 25%. "These elections were a great success. They tried to divide us but they didn't succeed. Our unity and maturity paid off," said Le Pen on Wednesday. Some analysts have blamed Wilders' alliance with Le Pen for "tainting" the Netherlands' Freedom Party, leading to its election loss. "We'll try to block any new EU expansion, we'll block every attempt at increased European integration promoted by our adversaries, and I see there's discord among them," added Le Pen.