Wilders announced yesterday night that the president of the French National Front, Marine Le Pen, failed to form a eurosceptic block in the European Parliament.

“Unfortunately we didn’t meet the June 24 deadline to form an official grouping with six other parties in the European parliament,” Wilders told Dutch national news agency ANP. Le Pen and Wilders had agreed before the European elections to form a group in order to “destroy Europe from the inside”.

At least 25 MEPs from parties from seven EU nations are required under European Union rules to be considered a group, which allows extra EU financing and other advantages.

The other eurosceptic block which includes the British UKIP with Nigel Farage and the Italian Five Star Movement with Beppe Grillo managed to form a group last week as they included in their group a MEP elected with the French National Front.

The parliamentary parties in the European Parliament have until today, Tuesday, to form a group, otherwise they will be described as independent members of the parliament.