Surprising alliance: 3 Hungarian parties vote the same way in the EU

On Thursday, a surprising political alliance emerged in the European Parliament: three ideologically distinct Hungarian right-wing parties – Fidesz–KDNP, the Tisza Party, and Mi Hazánk – voted in unison on the controversial EU return regulation.

What is the return regulation?

The return rule is a key part of the EU’s asylum package, currently being discussed by both the European Parliament and the Council, which represents member states. Its aim is to improve the efficiency of returning rejected asylum seekers and to ensure mutual recognition of EU decisions.

Under the new rules, the process of returning rejected applicants would be simpler, allowing member states to implement decisions in a coordinated way without having to launch new proceedings.

The measures would apply particularly to those who fail to cooperate with authorities. In such cases, coercive measures could be used – for example, authorities could confiscate travel documents if someone does not leave the EU voluntarily or poses a security risk.

The regulation would also allow rejected migrants to be sent to external EU centres – so-called “return hubs” – in third countries, under bilateral agreements with those states. It was this measure that the EU voted on Thursday.

Stricter rules and new options

The European Commission’s original proposal from 2018 was withdrawn in 2025 and replaced with a stricter version. The new regulation could extend the legal detention period to up to two years and would effectively allow for unlimited entry bans for rejected applicants.

The proposal also permits other countries to return migrants to third countries that are not their country of origin, provided there are bilateral agreements in place with the relevant authorities. While this gives member states more options, it also raises human rights concerns, as returns may not always be to democratic states.

Political alliance and voting outcome

In the plenary vote, 389 MEPs supported moving the proposal to the next stage, 206 voted against, and 32 abstained. Among Hungarian parties, Fidesz–KDNP, the Tisza Party, and Mi Hazánk all voted in favour – a notable alignment given their ideological differences, according to Telex.

At the committee level in March, a right-wing majority – consisting of the European People’s Party, Patriots for Europe, and the European Sovereign Nations – had already backed migration proposals.

The Fidesz MEP stressed in a statement that the proposal does not replace the protection of external borders and does not alter the fundamental principles of the EU asylum package.

Criticism and concerns

Left-wing, Green, and far-left groups submitted three separate motions challenging the decision, largely citing human rights concerns. Critics warn that the new rules could allow them to return people almost anywhere, including countries the individuals have never known or countries that do not operate democratic systems.

Although the Parliament’s version is less strict than the Council’s in some areas – for example, the maximum detention period is 24 months – the legislation is expected to have a significant impact on EU asylum practices, particularly in terms of increasing return rates and improving coordination between member states.

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