MEPs of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party are set to quit the European People’s Party (EPP) group after an amendment to the umbrella party’s rules was approved at a group meeting on Wednesday, according to Fidesz MEPs Kinga Gál, the chairperson of the Fidesz-KDNP EP delegation and Tamás Deutsch, the head of the delegation.
Gál and Deutsch told MTI that it was “unacceptable” that the EPP group had launched “hasty administrative manoeuvers” during the coronavirus epidemic that was “claiming the lives of thousands of European citizens every day, putting unprecedented pressure on our citizens and economies.”
The Fidesz MEPs said they had stated their legal and political concerns on several occasions, but the final version of the amendment to the EPP statutes was still unsatisfactory.
The Fidesz MEPs said they had stated their legal and political concerns on several occasions, but the final version of the amendment to the EPP statutes was still unsatisfactory.
The change in rules that would allow a simple majority to oust a whole party group from the EPP group would prevent Fidesz MEPs from exercising their parliamentary rights,
they added.
The Fidesz MEPs said the democratic will of almost 2 million Hungarians who backed Fidesz in the European elections “must be respected fully”. This means the rights of their elected representatives must not be curbed or revoked, they added. Gál and Deutsch said in their statement that handling political differences bureaucratically was
The Fidesz MEPs said the democratic will of almost 2 million Hungarians who backed Fidesz in the European elections “must be respected fully”. This means the rights of their elected representatives must not be curbed or revoked, they added. Gál and Deutsch said in their statement that handling political differences bureaucratically was
“anti-democratic and unworthy” of the EPP party group.
As we reported before, Fidesz’s membership in the EPP was suspended in March 2019, due to the Hungarian party’s critical stance and “alleged violation” of EPP values.
The EPP group voted on Wednesday to change the group’s statutes to make it possible to suspend the membership of a whole group, not just individual MEP members, or to terminate membership collectively if the party group’s rules were seriously breached.
Katalin Novák, a deputy leader of Fidesz, has slammed the EPP group’s vote to amend its statutes, saying it would curb the ability of her party’s MEPs to exercise their parliamentary rights.
Katalin Novák, a deputy leader of Fidesz, has slammed the EPP group’s vote to amend its statutes, saying it would curb the ability of her party’s MEPs to exercise their parliamentary rights.
“Thousands of people are dying in the European Union on a daily basis,” Novak said on Facebook. “And yet the European People’s Party’s parliamentary group is focused on limiting Fidesz MEPs’ room for manoeuvre.”
Novák, who is Hungary’s minister without portfolio for family affairs, noted that Fidesz decided to “put an end to the disagreements” and leave the EPP group after the umbrella party approved an amendment to its statutes that would allow MEPs to be removed from the group en-bloc with a simple majority.
Novák also shared a letter by Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed to Manfred Weber, the EPP’s group leader, on Fidesz’s decision to leave the group. In his capacity as Fidesz leader, Orbán said he was disappointed to witness “the EPP group paralysed by internal administrative matters and busy silencing … democratically elected Europeans, while hundreds of thousands of Europeans are hospitalised…”
He called the change in rules
Novák also shared a letter by Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed to Manfred Weber, the EPP’s group leader, on Fidesz’s decision to leave the group. In his capacity as Fidesz leader, Orbán said he was disappointed to witness “the EPP group paralysed by internal administrative matters and busy silencing … democratically elected Europeans, while hundreds of thousands of Europeans are hospitalised…”
He called the change in rules
“a clearly hostile step towards our voters and Fidesz”.
“This is anti-democratic, unfair and unacceptable.” The governing body of Fidesz, he added, “has decided to leave the EPP group in the European Parliament immediately.” Orbán added that Fidesz MEPs would continue “to speak for those voters they represent and defend the interests of the Hungarian people.”
Meanwhile, opposition leaders also commented on the events. For example, Jobbik said that nobody should have any illusions: Fidesz left today the EPP, but tomorrow they will leave the European Union.
Ferenc Gyurcsány, the leader of the Democratic Coalition, said that PM Viktor Orbán is not a strongman in Europe but the continent’s loser.
András Fekete-Győr, chairman of Momentum Movement, wrote that today PM Orbán continued to move away from Europe and move closer to Putin’s Russia.
The smaller Hungarian governming party, the Christian Democrats (KDNP), issued a statement later that they remain in the EPP in the European Parliament.
György Hölvényi, KNDP’s only MEP currently serving in the European Parliament, told MTI that the party joined the predecessor of the EPP, the European Union of Christian Democrats, in the early 1990s.
The amendments of the EPP’s statutes, which the EPP adopted earlier in the day, do not “present a legal issue to KNDP and do not strip the party of positions it is holding”, Hölvényi said. He said the party would continue to work for the cause of religious freedom, for persecuted Christians, for interreligious dialogue and for the advancement of European development policy.
The amendments of the EPP’s statutes, which the EPP adopted earlier in the day, do not “present a legal issue to KNDP and do not strip the party of positions it is holding”, Hölvényi said. He said the party would continue to work for the cause of religious freedom, for persecuted Christians, for interreligious dialogue and for the advancement of European development policy.
Source: MTI
If you would like to support the work of the Daily News Hungary staff and independent journalism,
please make a donation here
please make a donation here
Hot news
Tourists and immigrants revitalise Budapest’s iconic region as 1/5th of shops change
Top Hungary news: Festive trains, Wizz passengers stuck in Belgium, minimum wage increase, lego tram — 21 November, 2024
Hungary stands firm on Russian energy: FM Szijjártó defends sovereignty amid EU criticism
Wizz Air flight delayed for 18 hours: Passengers stuck in Brussels airport
Official: Minimum wage in Hungary to rise in 2025
Hop on a festive train to Vienna and Zagreb’s Christmas markets with MÁV!
6 Comments
Hungary should leave the European Union. Why? Because just like the former Iron Curtain under the Soviets domination We have a group of unelected tyrants trying to compel Hungary to accept policies and migrants and these policies and forced acceptance of migrants is NOT in the best interest of most Hungarians nor is it the desire of most Hungarians to lose their heritage to the Soros owned dictatorship from Brussells.
Not only should Hungary leave the E.U. Also, Poland, Czech and Slovak Republics and all the other former Eastern Bloc nations because Brussells does NOT nor will they ever listen to the citizens of their respective member states. All these former Eastern bloc nations should form a loose confederation and work in their own best interest. They should stop being puppets of NATO and the USA and try to live in peace with all their neighbors including Russia. Russia is NOT the enemy of Hungary at this time but rest assured that if Hungary follows the dictates of America, it will get drawn into another war and will come out on the short end again.
Hungary should stop being a door mat for Brussells and others who do not nor have they ever had Hungarians best interest at heart.
The only reason why Victorinus the Beggar is still in the EU is money. When he will have managed to obtain sufficient secure charity from other hands, for himself, his family and oligarch friends, enough to maintain their grip on power, he will finally choose to exit, without referendum and in spite of the 70 to 80 % of Hungarians against it.
It will be: a dark day of sorrow for good Hungarians, a happy day for primitive Hungarians, a totally indifferent day for fellow EUropeans, a day of relief for the EU budget and EU democratic principles.
Ik geef Hongarije en Polen gelijk dat ze geen vluchtelingen binnen pakken daar zijn al genoeg sukkelaars
Today Orban took the right step with the EPP party in the EUSSR. Tomorrow he will become part of a larger party that has not gone to the dark left side. The oppositions comments all fall into the dark left side, with nothing fresh to report over their constant stupid barking.
Now would be a good time to announce a New Center Right party to bring down the EUSSR wall too.
EU is so good! NOT!
Failed on Migrants
Failed on Vaccines
Failed on economic growth since 2008
Failed on pandemic solidarity
Failed on Greece
Failed on Terrorism
Regular Riots in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden as people lose trust in governments!
EU , Brussels is a dictatorial institute, they are hungry for power and champions in enforcing rules to the EU member states. If EU member states are agree with that they will loose finally their own identity. So Hungary and other former Eastern bloc countries have to distance themselves from that. For Western Europe countries it is already to late, they are stuck in their system.