ROME, Dec 3 (Reuters) - European far-right parties met in Italy on Sunday vowing to reshape the European Union after next year's European Parliament elections, toughening the bloc's approach on immigration and softening its climate policies to protect jobs and industry.
Parties from around a dozen countries gathered in Florence, galvanised by last month's general elections in the Netherlands, which handed a surprise win to Geert Wilders' anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV).
The far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group is now the sixth-largest in the EU assembly, also behind liberal, green and conservative groups, but current polling data place it in fourth position.
Salvini, who has failed to include in his alliance Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her poll-leading Brothers of Italy party, fronted a previous unsuccessful push in 2019 for a far-right breakthrough in EU elections.
Wilders hailed Salvini, leader of the League party, as an inspiration and his "number one Italian friend."
Persons:
Geert Wilders, Matteo Salvini, Salvini, Giorgia Meloni, Wilders, Tino Chrupalla, Jordan Bardella, righters, Chrupalla, Harald Vilimsky, Vladimir Putin, Chizu
Organizations:
European Union, Party, League, Marine, Austrian Freedom Party, Thomson
Locations:
Italy, European, Florence, galvanised, Netherlands, Europe, Germany, Africa, Austrian, Russia, Ukraine, Israel