Populist leaders meet in Warsaw to discuss European Union

The leaders of right-wing populist parties are gathering in Warsaw to discuss how they can work together to bring change to the European Union

WARSAW, Poland -- The leaders of right-wing populist parties are gathering Saturday in Warsaw to discuss how they can work together to bring change to the European Union, which they accuse of acting like a super-state that is eroding the traditions and powers of the EU's 27 member nations.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland’s nationalist ruling party, was expected to open the gathering in Warsaw. Scheduled attendees include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, among others.

The meeting follows a visit by Le Pen to Budapest in October that was part of an effort by her and Orban to consolidate the European right.

It also comes as both the Polish and Hungarian governments remain locked in a bitter standoff with the EU, which is withholding funds to both countries over democratic backsliding.