Hungary’s Fidesz Party suspended by EPP
The central-right party of the European Parliament, the European People’s Party has suspended the Hungarian Nationalist Fidesz Party indefinitely. This is seen as a major hit to the Prime Minister Viktor Orban with only few months to the elections to European Parliament. The members of EEP voted 190=3 thus favouring the measure with huge support. The vote had followed three hours of debate.
The Fidesz Party will not lose all the membership privileges which also includes the voting rights with immediate effect. This was declared in a tweet by Joseph Daul, the President of the European People’s Party. Viktor Orban who was also present at the voting has said that he is satisfied with the results and supported the measure. Orban later told the media that “we decided that we will not exercise any rights in the EPP and the voters will decide on Fidesz’s place on the map of Europe. Orban’s remarks had come after a few hours when his Chief of Staff, Gergely Gulyas had said that the suspension will ultimately lead to the withdrawal of Fidesz from the EPP. Fidesz comprises a small but an important part of the group and is expected to bag more number of seats in the elections to the European Parliament due in May.
Ever since Orban has come to power in 2010, Orban has been a point of contention for Brussels for his open criticism of the leadership of European Union and also increasing number of autocracy at home. He has made use of the anti-migrant stance to lead an aggressive campaign directed against independent media and also speaking against the role of civil society organisations. It was because of the actions of Orban, US based non-profit firm Freedom House has lowered the status of Hungary from a free nation to partly free.
Various rights groups and organisations have labelled the measure as only half-baked and politically motivated. They have called it as only a window-dressing compromise. PM Orban has since years stopped following the democratic principles of EPP and it is proper time for EPP to clear his stance on EU values.
One of the latest and most absurd tactics of Orban include the recent media outburst against Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of European Commission who is being shown as a puppet in the hands of George Soros, a US-Hungarian philanthropist. The campaign has accused the above of starting experimental immigration projects with African countries which also include compulsory settlement quotas and decreased financial assistance for various countries.
