As Hungary prepares to take over the rotating EU presidency on Monday, July 1, the Prime Minister is joining forces with the Austrian far right and Czech centrists to try to carry weight in the European Parliament.
The timing was not chosen by chance, as Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union for six months on Monday, July 1, after weeks of deadlock and tensions with the Commission and its partners. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced this Sunday his intention to form a new European parliamentary group with the Austrian far-right FPÖ party and the centrist movement of former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.
The new alliance, named “Patriots for Europe” and consecrated by a “manifest”, was launched during a declaration in Vienna alongside Babis and the Austrian Herbert Kickl, the leader of the FPÖ. “A new era begins,” proclaimed Orbán, promising that this faction, if it sees the light of day, “will change European policy” pour to voice a different vision against military support for Ukraine, against “illegal immigration” and for “the traditional family.” “An era of freedom, sovereignty, peace, prosperity and values, added Herbert Kickl, who, after his party’s first place in the European elections on June 9, now hopes to win the Austrian chancellery in the legislative elections scheduled for the end of September. Today is a historic day.”
Need support from parties in four other countries
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has been among the non-attached since it left the European People’s Party (EPP, right) in 2021. Austria’s FPÖ, for its part, sat until now with the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which includes the deputies of the French National Rally (RN), while the Ano party of the Czech Andrej Babis was part of Renew Europe, which includes liberals and centrists, including Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party.
In the European Parliament, Fidesz has eleven MEPs with its allies from the Christian Democratic Party KDNP, Ano has seven and the FPÖ has six members. This alliance of “Patriots for Europe” nevertheless needs the support of parties from four other countries in order to be recognised as a fully-fledged group in the European Parliament.
The remarks come as Budapest prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the Union, feared by many officials and leaders in Brussels. “The EU has worked hard to resolve a number of sensitive issues before the end of the Belgian presidency: the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, the adoption of a new sanctions package against Russia and the adoption of billions in aid to Ukraine”, recalls the news site Politico Europe. With some MEPs having launched various actions to weaken this presidency, the presence of Viktor Orbán in the European hemicycle should give rise to quite a stir. “media spectacle”, worries the Brussels media.
19 billion euros of funds for Hungary still frozen
The only relief is that this leadership is not taking place at a key legislative moment for the EU. Attention is currently focused on the inauguration of the leaders appointed to key positions following the European elections on 9 June: Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen, who remains at the head of the Commission, Portugal’s António Costa, who is designated as President of the Council, and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas for Foreign Affairs. Once the new President of the European Commission has received the green light from Parliament, each country will propose its candidates for Commissioners, who will then face questioning and a vote in the Chamber. Enough to keep Parliament busy for a while before any legislative debate.
Viktor Orbán, who has recently toughened his rhetoric against “the Brussels technocratic elite” et “racks his brains to harm them,” should nevertheless continue to block key files and try to ease restrictions on the rule of law to recover its aid. Some 19 billion euros of funds are still frozen because of failures in the fight against corruption and repeated attacks on democracy. “It will be a presidency like any other, we will act as an impartial mediator,” attempted to clear mines this week of the Hungarian ambassador to the EU, Bálint Odor.
Close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the bloc’s longest-serving leader nevertheless set the tone by borrowing from American President Donald Trump – whom he supports – the slogan for the next six months: «Make Europe Great Again» (“Make Europe great again”). An entire program.
