But many in the EPP view Orbán’s crackdown on the Central European University (CEU) as the last straw after a series of measures that went against the letter and the spirit of EU rules — from erecting fences against migrants through mounting an anti-Brussels communication campaign to passing a law targeting NGOs that receive foreign funding.
“We had sympathy for Fidesz, a sister party which did things a bit differently than we did,” said Frank Engel, a Luxembourgish MEP from the EPP. “Now we think that the best thing they could do is just leave the EPP.” [...]
Whether Orbàn ultimately faces any sanction will depend on the stance of the EPP’s leaders. They have so far appeared cool on the idea of excluding Fidesz, which contributes 11 MEPs to the EPP group in the parliament. [...]
Orbán has long benefitted from leniency within the EPP leadership. He enjoys friendly relations with Joseph Daul, the president of the EPP and the only person with the power to expel Fidesz. Orbán has also benefitted from good relations with the Christian Social Union, an EPP member which is the Bavarian sister party of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats.
No comments:
Post a Comment