About: EPP
UK should ‘cool down’, ditch Brexit – Timmermans
Britain should use the next few months to "cool down and rethink" its decision to leave the European Union, the socialist candidate to head the next European Commission, Frans Timmermans, said on Wednesday (17 April).
Victor Ponta: The ruling PSD in Romania is becoming like Fidesz
In a wide-ranging interview, the former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has founded a new centre-left force, Pro-Romania, doesn’t mince his words criticising his former party, the ruling PSD. The Party of European Socialists (PES) should, if necessary, show PSD the red card, he says.
Weber: Ignoring Spitzenkandidaten would harm EU democracy
Most European leaders and parties have agreed to the Spitzenkandidat principle. If they suddenly ditched it, it would be a huge step back for democracy in Europe and could risk conflict between the European Parliament and the Council, said Manfred Weber, the centre-right EPP party's Spitzenkandidat for the European elections.
Relations with Romania have become ‘heavier’, Commission admits
The European Commission admitted on Friday (29 March) that relations with Romania, the holder of the rotating EU presidency, had become “heavier” because of the case of Laura Codruța Kövesi, the top candidate for the post of the chief European prosecutor.
EPP has ‘lost all credibility’ after Orbán scandal, Verhofstadt says
The European People's Party has “lost all credibility and moral authority to lead the EU,” ALDE's leader Guy Verhofstadt has said, following the EPP's decision to suspend but not expel Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party.
Council and Parliament lock horns over EU chief prosecutor choice
MEPs and EU government representatives failed to reach an agreement on the appointment of the bloc’s first chief prosecutor on Wednesday (27 March), following disagreements over the potential hiring of Romania’s former anti-corruption chief Laura Codruţa Kövesi. The talks were the second...
Bullmann: May should put the Brexit question back to the people
UK Prime Minister Theresa May should stop wasting time and start working with the Labour Party for a closer EU-UK relationship, or put the question back to the British people, socialist chief Udo Bullmann told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Orban in fresh anti-EU swipe after European suspension
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán again lashed out at “Brussels bureaucrats” Sunday (24 March), days after reaching a compromise with conservative allies in the European Parliament who were angered by an anti-EU billboard campaign. During a public radio interview Orbán accused the...
Macron slams the EPP compromise on Orbán’s Fidesz party
French President Macron spoke in very critical terms on Friday (22 March) about the compromise reached by the European People’s Party to suspend, but not exclude Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party from the European centre-right family.
EPP votes to suspend Hungary’s Fidesz party membership
The European People's Party (EPP) suspended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ruling Fidesz party over alleged violations of EU rule-of-law principles on Wednesday (20 March), in a compromise solution that allowed the EPP to keep its 'bad boy' in and bolster party unity ahead of the European elections.
EXCLUSIVE-Slovenian centre-right: Cancel Orbán vote or EPP is ‘inevitably’ split
The leader of the centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) has asked the European People’s Party chief and EPP members to cancel a vote today to expel Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz from the centre-right family, saying the EPP could otherwise risk a split just before the European elections.
Stanishev loses leadership of European elections list to former partner
Sergei Stanishev may be the leader of the Party of European Socialists (PES), but his authority in his home country Bulgaria is under pressure.
Orbán apologises to EPP leaders he called ‘useful idiots’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has apologised to European conservative parties for calling them "useful idiots" over an anti-EU billboard campaign that could see his party ejected from the European Parliament's dominant centre-right EPP bloc.
Farage to lobby EU countries in search of Brexit extension veto
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said on Wednesday (13 March) he will lobby EU countries to make sure one of them vetoes a possible extension of Article 50 past the 29 March deadline.
Commission pursues ‘bilateral and multilateral cooperation’ with China as MEPs express deep concern
The European Commission has set out a series of concrete actions to "deepen its engagement with China to promote common interests," the bloc's top officials said on Tuesday (12 March). However, MEPs voiced concerns over "embedded backdoors" in Chinese tech that may put personal data in the EU at risk.
Hungary covers posters featuring Juncker during Weber’s visit
The head of the European Parliament's dominant centre-right bloc met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday (12 March), again calling for the populist leader to apologise for an anti-EU billboard campaign.
EPP more likely to expel Fidesz if rival groups also ditch troublemakers
If mainstream political groups do not collectively expel their bad apples it could spell an end to measures by the EU to protect democracy in its member countries, write Jean Morijn and Israel Butler.
Merkel distances herself from Macron’s Europe vision
Less than two months after celebrating a new Franco-German treaty, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron are diverging on the future of Europe in the run-up to European Parliament elections in May.
Weber to meet Orbán in last-ditch reconciliation attempt
Manfred Weber of the centre-right European People's Party will meet Hungarian populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to discuss his Fidesz Party's dispute with the EPP, a Germany newspaper reported.
Orban says Fidesz may leave EPP, look at Poland for alliance
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday (8 March) his ruling nationalist Fidesz party may drop out of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) amid a row over his government's anti-Brussels media campaign.
Hungary plays down the EPP demand for apology as ‘an opinion’
Hungary defied demands to apologise on Wednesday (6 March) for vitriolic criticism of EU leaders, but a senior government aide suggested it was seeking compromise to avoid its ruling party’s ejection from the main conservative group in the European Parliament....
Weber gives Orbán chance to apologise and remain in EPP
The Spitzenkandidat of the main centre-right party for the European elections said on Tuesday (5 March) that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán must apologise for his criticism of the EU or his ruling Fidesz party could be suspended from the grouping.
Fidesz exclusion officially on EPP’s agenda for 20 March
Twelve national members of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) have officially requested the exclusion of Hungary's populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his party Fidesz, the EPP's leader said on Monday (4 March).