Harald Vilimsky, Secretary-general of Austria's right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ) | Yann Coatsaliou/AFP via Getty Images Austrian far-right party to join Salvini’s EU election alliance The FPÖ and the League already belong to the same political family in the European Parliament.

The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) will join Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini's European election alliance, the party's secretary-general, Harald Vilimsky, confirmed Tuesday.

Salvini announced Monday his ambition to form the largest group in the European Parliament by joining forces with Euroskeptics across the bloc following next month's election.

The Freedom Party, which governs in Vienna as part of a coalition, is already part of the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group in the European Parliament, which Salvini's League belongs to.

Vilimsky made the announcement on Twitter, posting a template in English with his party's name added in. The form was signed Monday.

The prewritten statement signed by the FPÖ said that the alliance would "fight for a safer Europe with well protected external borders, less immigration and a stronger cooperation to tackle terrorism and Islamisation."

Nicolas Bay, co-chair of the ENF group in the Parliament, said his National Rally party would join Salvini’s new alliance. “Matteo spoke in the name of those who form the ENF, which have mandated him to launch this appeal to a larger alliance,” Bay said.