Sean Gallup / Getty Images(KOBLENZ, Germany) — Leader of the French National Front Marine Le Pen told right-wing politicians in Germany that patriotism is the future of European politics according to a BBC News report.
In attendance were Dutch politician Geert Wilders of the anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV), Frauke Petry of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), Harald Vilimsky of the Freedom Party of Austria and Matteo Salvini of Italy’s anti-EU Northern League.
BBC News reports the meeting between right-wing politicians was met by hundreds of protesters.
Le Pen dubbed 2017 the “year of the awakening,” a time during which she predicts France, Germany, and the Netherlands will reject the political establishment and elect nationalist and anti-immigrant policies.
Each of those three countries are facing upcoming elections this year. Le Pen is a presidential candidate in France, where current president Francois Hollande will not seek re-election.
She said Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in 2016 will have a domino effect across Europe, adding that there will be a “return of nation-states.”
Geert Wilders was quoted opening the meeting with the statement, “Yesterday, a new America. Today… a new Europe.
The meeting comes a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States.
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