The expulsion of Hungarian Fidesz from the European People's Party (EPP) is drawing closer.
According to SPIEGEL information, twelve EPP member parties from nine countries are calling for the exclusion or suspension of the Hungarian ruling party Fidesz. The corresponding letters were forwarded to EPP President Joseph Daul, sources in the party family said.
This is the threshold for a decision: According to the EPP statute, it is seven member parties from five countries. As SPIEGEL learned from EPP circles, CDH and CD & V (Belgium), Kokoomus (Finland), Nea Demokratia (Greece), TS-LKD (Lithuania), CSV (Luxembourg), Hoyre (Norway), CDA (Netherlands) , CDS-PP and PSD (Portugal) as well as Kristdemokraterna and Moderaterna (Sweden) letters written to Daul. The German EPP members CDU and CSU have thus far not participated.
The debate on the expulsion of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party is scheduled to take place on 20 March, when the EPP traditionally meets the day before a regular EU summit in Brussels. The decision was taken on Monday after Daul phoned the EPP Bureau members. In addition to Daul, the 16-member panel includes EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council President Donald Tusk, EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani and Manfred Weber, head of the EPP Group in the EU Parliament and top candidate for the European elections in May ,
Poster campaign brought the cask to overflow
Insiders reckon that it will be high at the meeting of the 260 EPP delegates. The presence of Orbán is expected in the Brussels party headquarters - and also that he will verbally defend himself.
The Prime Minister of Hungary was recently heavily criticized for his campaign against the European Commission. Commissioner Juncker, himself an EPP member, has been accused of promoting illegal immigration to the EU. In addition to Juncker, the posters show the US billionaire George Soros, born in Hungary, whom Orbán has raised as a kind of public enemy. Since Soros is a Jew, Orbán are also accused of anti-Semitic undertones.
Not only has Orbán repeatedly campaigned against EU-hostile campaigns in recent years, but he also pursues an openly authoritarian policy with the stated goal of creating an "illiberal democracy". After the recent campaign, several patrons of other EPP parties were at the end of their patience: they publicly demanded the expulsion of Orbán troops.
But Orbán did not respond, on the contrary: in the interview with the "Welt am Sonntag", he gave in and referred to his EPP-internal critics as "useful idiots" of the left. The anti-Juncker posters also hang. Orbán spokesman Zoltan Kovacs announced via Twitter that the "information campaign" will run until 15 March as planned. And anyway, the "decision of the Hungarian people" to stop migration is "more important to us than party discipline". In other words, you will not back down in the future either.
Orbán is already planning the next anti-EU campaign
Instead, Hungary's government announced the next anti-Brussels campaign. The goal this time is Frans Timmermans. As the first vice-president of the European Commission, the Dutchman is not only responsible for the current legal proceedings against Hungary, but also the top candidate of the Social Democrats for the European elections - which has already brought him attacks from Budapest. A spokesman for the commission warned Orbán on Monday: whether it's against Juncker, Timmermans or other officials of the agency - "we will respond and defend our work with equal force against falsehood and fraudulent rhetoric."
The pressure on the EPP and its leading candidate Weber to exclude Fidesz is thus getting bigger. In an interview with SPIEGEL, the CSU man no longer ruled out such a measure: "All options are on the table." However, the EPP is in a dilemma: a squall by Fidesz could cost the group in the EU Parliament 13 valuable seats.
And not only that: Orbán could personally take revenge on being thrown out on Weber. Although it is almost certain that the EPP will again be the strongest party in the EU Parliament following the European elections. But Weber not only has to be elected by a majority of MEPs as Commission President. Before that, the European Council must formally propose it. However, the principle of unanimity prevails in the body of heads of state and government. So Orbán would have the means to cause Weber a lot of trouble.