Bringing 30 MEPs into Orbán’s grouping from the Identity and Democracy (ID) camp will make the Patriots faction the third largest in the parliament and come as a major blow to French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renew Europe, which has occupied third place since 2019. A strong position in Europe would come as consolation to the French far-right after finishing third in national elections on Sunday.

Orbán launched the Patriots group on June 30 along with Czech party ANO, headed by former prime minister Andrej Babiš, and Herbert Kickl’s FPÖ of Austria. ID insiders told Politico that the Patriots, expected to be formally launched in Brussels later on Monday, planned to incorporate ID but the move had been postponed due to the French parliamentary elections.

France’s National Rally is now set to be the largest single party within the Patriots, a situation hinted at by party leader Jordan Bardella in a speech on Sunday evening. “At long last, starting tomorrow, our MEPs will fully play their role in a large group which will influence the power balance in Europe, to refuse being flooded by migrants, punitive environmentalism and the confiscation of our sovereignty,” Politico quoted him as saying.

The Patriots have already been joined by other MEPs, including six from Geert Wilders’ PVV of the Netherlands, six from Spain’s Vox, three from Belgian party Vlaams Belang, two from the Chega party of Portugal, and a member of the Danish People’s Party, Anders Vistisen, who will be the group’s chief whip.

Earlier on Monday, eight members of Italy’s League, led by former deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, announced their entry to the voting bloc, bringing its total number of members to 79. Also on Monday, Orbán’s chief of staff said that German right-wing party Alternative for Germany would not be joining the Patriots. In the former parliament, ID had 49 MEPs, making it the sixth largest grouping.

Sources told Politico that a member of Le Pen’s party would become president of the Patriots, with ID President Gerolf Annemans commenting that it will be “not only Orbán’s group.”