Europe

Danish lawmaker: euroskeptic EU alliance can have influence

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Head of France’s National Rally Marine Le Pen, centre, walks with Denmark politician Soeren Espersen, right who is chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, during a visit to Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, Friday April 26, 2019. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Head of France’s National Rally Marine Le Pen, centre, talks during a press conference with Denmark politician Soeren Espersen, left, who is chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, during a visit to Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, Friday April 26, 2019. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

A senior member of a Danish anti-immigration populist party says he hopes a new right-wing alliance "can have real influence on European policy for the first time ever" before next month's European Parliament elections.

Soeren Espersen, deputy leader of the euroskeptic Danish People's Party, was referring to the April 8 creation of an alliance with populist parties from Italy, Denmark, Germany and Finland.

He said one of things that really matter to him and his party is stopping mass immigration.

Elections to the European Parliament are held May 23-26 throughout the bloc.

Espersen spoke Friday as France's Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party is to join the alliance in May, was visiting.