BUDAPEST, Hungary 鈥� Hungary鈥檚 governing party pulled out of its conservative group in the European Union鈥檚 legislature on Wednesday following years of conflict over the rule of law and European values.
The right-wing Fidesz party has held a two-thirds majority in Hungary鈥檚 parliament almost uninterrupted since 2010. It left the European People鈥檚 Party over the latter鈥檚 adoption on Wednesday of new procedures allowing for entire parties to be excluded from the group rather than just individual lawmakers.
Fidesz officials, including Hungary鈥檚 prime minister and head of the party, Viktor Orban, had argued that the rule changes were 鈥渢ailor-made鈥� to sanction Fidesz, and threatened over the weekend to pull out of the EPP if the rules passed.
The EPP backed the rule changes with an overwhelming majority in a 148-28 vote, with four abstentions.
In a letter Wednesday to Manfred Weber, chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Orban announced Fidesz鈥檚 decision to leave the group.
鈥淭he amendments to the rules of the EPP Group are clearly a hostile move against Fidesz and our voters ... This is anti-democratic, unjust and unacceptable. Therefore, the governing body of Fidesz has decided to leave the EPP Group immediately,鈥� Orban wrote.
Orban said the rule changes deprived Hungarian voters of their democratic rights and that Fidesz lawmakers would continue to represent Hungary in the European Parliament.
In a statement, the EPP said it 鈥渞espects and welcomes鈥� the adoption of the new rules allowing for the expulsion of parties, and that a decision on Fidesz鈥檚 fate within the party family would be made at a later date.
鈥淔idesz is now facing an exclusion procedure from the party, under Article 3 of the EPP Statutes. This must be decided by the EPP Political Assembly which will meet when it is safe to do so given the current pandemic situation,鈥� the EPP wrote.
Fidesz鈥檚 decision to leave the group could be the final note in a series of longstanding clashes with the EPP, the largest political family in Europe. The group suspended Fidesz鈥檚 membership in 2019 over concerns that it was eroding the rule of law in Hungary, engaging in anti-Brussels rhetoric and attacking the EPP leadership.
In a tweet, Hungary鈥檚 minister for family affairs and a Fidesz vice-president, Katalin Novak, confirmed Fidesz鈥檚 decision to leave the EPP Group.
鈥淲e will not let our MEPs be silenced or limited in their capacity to represent our voters. Tackling the pandemic and saving lives remains our number one priority,鈥� Novak wrote.
Even without Fidesz鈥檚 11 lawmakers, the EPP will remain the largest caucus in the European Parliament. It remains unclear whether in addition to pulling its lawmakers from the EPP鈥檚 parliamentary group, Fidesz will also quit the EPP party family, led by former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Some observers have speculated that Fidesz could seek a new home with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) alongside its ideological ally, Poland鈥檚 Law and Justice party, or the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID), of which Matteo Salvini鈥檚 Lega is a member.
Austrian EPP member and
鈥淭oday鈥檚 vote also is rejecting the blackmail attempt by Viktor Orban. Our votes cannot be dictated nor prescribed. This attempt from Orban joins in a long list of inappropriate actions from Fidesz politicians,鈥� Karas wrote.
The news of Fidesz鈥檚 departure from the EPP Group was also welcomed by some more liberal European lawmakers. Iratxe Garcia, chairwoman of the
Justin Spike, The Associated Press
