Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban withdrew thirteen MPs from his Fidesz party from the European People’s Party group. It was announced this morning after the group agreed to amend the rules that would allow national delegations to be suspended or excluded.
“I hereby announce that MEPs Fidesz will leave the EPP group,” Orban wrote in a letter to group leader Manfred Weber. According to the head of the Hungarian government, amending the bylaws is “an act of hostility towards Fides and our voters”.
With the Vice Fides, the thirteen-seat EPP group was reduced to 174 members. This means that the formation of democratic and conservative Christian parties remains by far the largest political formation in the European Parliament. The socialist family has 145 members.
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And so Orban bears this honor after the Christian Democratic and Conservative European People’s Party group approved today the amendment of its internal procedures. These bylaws make it possible to suspend or exclude entire national delegations.
The European People’s Party had already suspended Fidesz in March 2019 due to violations of basic rights in Hungary and Orban’s anti-European rhetoric. Vice Fidesz remained members of the group.
CD & V supported the amendment of the rules. Rep. Tom Fankindleri said, “I think it would be best if we parted on the basis of clear agreements.”
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