Le Pen, Orbán, and Meloni Condemn Socialism and 'Massive Illegal Migration' at Madrid Convention.

International far-right figures, including Marine Le Pen from France, Viktor Orbán from Hungary, Giorgia Meloni from Italy, and Javier Milei from Argentina, gathered in Madrid to denounce socialism and "massive illegal migration" just three weeks before an anticipated surge in support for hard-right parties in the June European elections.

Organized by Spain's far-right Vox party, Sunday's "great patriotic convention" provided conservatives and far-right populists a platform to criticize a range of familiar targets, from the welfare state to "wokeness" and the policies of Brussels-based bureaucrats.

Notable attendees included Amichai Chikli, Israel's Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, André Ventura, leader of Portugal's far-right Chega party, and José Antonio Kast, a far-right leader from Chile.

Representing the US hard right were Matt Schlapp, an ally of Donald Trump and chair of the American Conservative Union, and Roger Severino, vice-president of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank.

Orbán, addressing the convention via video, called for "patriots to occupy Brussels," accusing the city's officials of "unleashing massive illegal migration" and "poisoning our children with gender propaganda."

Meloni, also appearing via video, urged European far-right parties to unite as EU citizens prepare to vote. "We're on the eve of decisive elections," the Italian Prime Minister said. "It’s time to mobilize, to take to the streets. We must raise the stakes and fight until the last day."

Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, called for a global alliance to counter the left. "While we defend our national sovereignty, we also know that we can’t do it alone," he told the 10,000-strong crowd at the Vistalegre arena in Madrid. "Against globalism and its socialist core, we must respond with a global alliance to defend common sense, as this is a shared threat."

Le Pen, whose National Rally party is leading the polls in France, expressed confidence in Vox’s support in the European Parliament to "begin to reorientate" the EU.

Milei, opening his speech with a song, praised capitalism's power. "Despite all the left’s complaints, the free market brings prosperity to everyone," he said. "Socialism has always been an economic and social failure. Embracing socialism means inviting death. It’s more important than ever to point that out."

The controversial Argentine president, in Spain for the event, to promote his latest book, and to meet with business leaders from major Spanish companies such as Iberia, Santander, Telefónica, and BBVA, had already criticized socialism at a previous event on Friday.

"Socialism is the cancer of humanity," Milei said. "It is the enemy. Instead of focusing on our differences, we must not let the dark, black, satanic, disgusting, atrocious, carcinogenic side – socialism – defeat us."

At the rally, he reignited a dispute with Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, who had previously suggested that Milei's eccentric media appearances might be due to "the ingestion of substances."

Milei retaliated by referencing corruption allegations involving the wife of Spain’s socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, who had recently taken a five-day hiatus to reflect on whether to continue in office amid personal attacks.

"The global elites don’t understand the destruction socialist ideas can bring because they’re too detached from reality," said Milei. "Even with a corrupt wife, Sánchez debases himself and takes five days to think about it."

The Spanish government called Milei's comments an unprecedented "frontal attack on our democracy, our institutions, and Spain itself," and announced it would recall its ambassador in Buenos Aires. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares demanded a full public apology from Milei. "If an apology is not forthcoming," he warned, "we will take all necessary actions to defend our sovereignty and dignity."

Prime Minister Sánchez condemned the far-right summit as indicative of a strong opposition to social justice, science, and women's rights.

"Why have these people chosen Spain as their meeting place?" he asked in a speech in Barcelona on Saturday. "It’s no coincidence. They’ve chosen Spain because we, as a society, represent everything they hate: feminism, social justice, dignified employment, a strong welfare state, and democracy.

"In democracy, as in life, forgiveness is stronger than bitterness, coexistence is stronger than confrontation, and unity is stronger than division." Photo by Contando Estrelas from Vigo, España / Spain, Wikimedia commons.