About: Viktor Orbán
EU elections revive Eurosceptic talks in Poland and Hungary
As we approach the EU elections, the Eurosceptic political rhetoric in Hungary and Poland is once again rising. This is hardly surprising, given the critical view the governing parties and their leaders, Viktor Orbán and Jaroslaw Kaczyński, share towards the EU...
Progressive camp eyes part of ALDE, Macron – Timmermans
Frans Timmermans, the Social Democrats' candidate to lead the next European Commission, will try to form a progressive majority after the EU elections but will need some of the 'progressive liberals' from the ALDE group and will extend a hand to the party of Emmanuel Macron.
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.
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.
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.
Tweets of the Week: Bercow, Orban, and Vestager
Bercow’s bombshell is rather splendid, Orban’s not banned, but he is suspended, and Google and Vestager are definitely unfriended. This week we are supported by EPRA.
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.
Judiciary shouldn’t be subject to EU regulation, Bulgarian nationalist MEP says
The future of Europe is a return to patriotism, Bulgarian MEP Angel Dzhambazki told a conference on the 'Future of Europe' in Sofia. Dzhambazki is expected to be the lead candidate of the Bulgarian nationalist VMRO party in the European elections in May. EURACTIV’s partner Dnevnik reports.
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.
Albania opposition leader: The Commission is ignoring the reality on the ground
The EU has mistakenly sacrificed democracy for the sake of stability in the Balkan region, Lulzim Basha, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Albania, told EURACTIV.com in a telephone interview.
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.
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.
Spanish far-right joins Orban in his defence of the Europe of nations
The Secretary-General of Spanish far-right party Vox defended the need to safeguard Europe by defending its nations face to “Merkel, Macron and Soros’ globalism” during an event in the European Parliament on Wednesday (6 March).
Italy to join China’s New Silk Road infrastructure plan
Italy is set to become the first member of the ‘Group of Seven’ most powerful nations to join China’s infrastructure plan “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR), despite the heightened scrutiny of Beijing’s investment in Europe.
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....
Czech PM raps Macron’s call for EU reforms
A call by French President Emmanuel Macron for reforms of the European Union to pave the way to a "European renaissance" won polite support in several capitals on Tuesday (5 March), but Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called it “divorced from reality’.
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).