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| Hungary Orban: Party faces European expulsion vote in Brussels | Hungary Orban: Party faces European expulsion vote in Brussels |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hungary's defiance of EU policies is facing a new test as the European Parliament's biggest bloc decides whether to expel or suspend the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. | |
| His Fidesz party is part of the centre-right European People's Party bloc. | His Fidesz party is part of the centre-right European People's Party bloc. |
| For many right-wing, anti-immigration parties, Mr Orban is a hero for regularly castigating Brussels. | For many right-wing, anti-immigration parties, Mr Orban is a hero for regularly castigating Brussels. |
| Some call him Europe's Donald Trump, as he sees the EU "threatened" by Muslim migrants, who are kept out of Hungary. | Some call him Europe's Donald Trump, as he sees the EU "threatened" by Muslim migrants, who are kept out of Hungary. |
| A number of members of the European People's Party (EPP) bloc want Fidesz thrown out because of its anti-EU campaigning. | |
| Another option for the EPP's 260 delegates will be to suspend it. Fidesz has threatened to leave the bloc if that happens. | |
| Will Orban's party be expelled? | Will Orban's party be expelled? |
| This sort of move is drastic by European Parliament standards, and reports on Wednesday suggested the EPP might not go that far. | |
| Thirteen parties in the bloc called for Fidesz to be expelled because of an anti-EU billboard campaign which attacked European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. | Thirteen parties in the bloc called for Fidesz to be expelled because of an anti-EU billboard campaign which attacked European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. |
| The posters also showed the billionaire US philanthropist George Soros, who is a regular target for Fidesz, which accuses him of encouraging illegal migration to Europe. Mr Soros funds civil society groups that help migrants or defend human rights. | The posters also showed the billionaire US philanthropist George Soros, who is a regular target for Fidesz, which accuses him of encouraging illegal migration to Europe. Mr Soros funds civil society groups that help migrants or defend human rights. |
| Critics see the attacks on Mr Soros - a Jewish survivor of the Nazi Holocaust in Hungary - as anti-Semitic. | Critics see the attacks on Mr Soros - a Jewish survivor of the Nazi Holocaust in Hungary - as anti-Semitic. |
| The problem for the EPP is that losing its Fidesz members would weaken it - just as the EU gears up for European elections in late May. | The problem for the EPP is that losing its Fidesz members would weaken it - just as the EU gears up for European elections in late May. |
| The EPP is an alliance of about 80 parties, but Fidesz has proven that it can win elections convincingly and it has a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian parliament, making it Hungary's dominant political force. | The EPP is an alliance of about 80 parties, but Fidesz has proven that it can win elections convincingly and it has a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian parliament, making it Hungary's dominant political force. |
| Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who heads Germany's Christian Democrats - the biggest party in the group - has suggested a membership "freeze" for a few months might be the way forward. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has backed the idea, proposing a six-month suspension. | Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who heads Germany's Christian Democrats - the biggest party in the group - has suggested a membership "freeze" for a few months might be the way forward. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has backed the idea, proposing a six-month suspension. |
| However, Mr Orban's chief of staff made clear that his party would immediately quit if suspended from the bloc. | |
| "It is about the dignity of Fidesz and the country," Gergely Gulyas told MTI state news agency. | |
| Mr Juncker says Mr Orban should be kicked out: "I think that Mr Orban is a long way from basic Christian Democratic values." | Mr Juncker says Mr Orban should be kicked out: "I think that Mr Orban is a long way from basic Christian Democratic values." |
| Could they patch up the quarrel? | Could they patch up the quarrel? |
| This is not just about some incendiary posters. Mr Orban also dismissed his critics in the EPP as "useful idiots" - a phrase generally attributed to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, who was referring in the 1920s to naive Western admirers of his brand of socialism. | This is not just about some incendiary posters. Mr Orban also dismissed his critics in the EPP as "useful idiots" - a phrase generally attributed to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, who was referring in the 1920s to naive Western admirers of his brand of socialism. |
| However, Mr Orban did appear to want to end the row last week when the EPP's German leader Manfred Weber visited Budapest in search of an apology. | |
| Mr Weber is a significant figure in the EU who could succeed Mr Juncker as EU Commission chief if the EPP wins the European elections, as it did in 2014. | Mr Weber is a significant figure in the EU who could succeed Mr Juncker as EU Commission chief if the EPP wins the European elections, as it did in 2014. |
| The offending posters along Mr Weber's route were hastily papered over and Mr Orban sent apologetic letters to the 13 parties that had called for Fidesz to be kicked out. | The offending posters along Mr Weber's route were hastily papered over and Mr Orban sent apologetic letters to the 13 parties that had called for Fidesz to be kicked out. |
| "I would hereby like to express my apologies, if you found my quote personally offensive," he told Wouter Beke, leader of Belgium's Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V). | "I would hereby like to express my apologies, if you found my quote personally offensive," he told Wouter Beke, leader of Belgium's Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V). |
| But Mr Beke said he expected more than a personal apology - it was a matter of "respect for European values and better co-operation in guarding the EU's external borders". | |
| He added: "I see no change there. The CD&V sticks to its position: no place for Fidesz in the EPP." | |
| And the anti-EU ad campaign was still visible on Hungarian news websites after Mr Weber had gone. | And the anti-EU ad campaign was still visible on Hungarian news websites after Mr Weber had gone. |
| Petteri Orpo, of Finland's conservative Kokoomus party, also remained opposed to Mr Orban. | |
| "At this point, letters will not help. Fidesz should show its commitment to the EPP by its actions," he tweeted. | |
| What are the wider issues? | What are the wider issues? |
| May's European elections are seen as an acid test for the EU, which is under fire from nationalists in many of the 28 member states. | May's European elections are seen as an acid test for the EU, which is under fire from nationalists in many of the 28 member states. |
| Mr Orban claims that Europe is in the midst of an existential struggle to defend "Christian" values. | Mr Orban claims that Europe is in the midst of an existential struggle to defend "Christian" values. |
| He attacks the liberal consensus underpinning EU institutions, advocating instead a vigorous new Central European powerbase. | He attacks the liberal consensus underpinning EU institutions, advocating instead a vigorous new Central European powerbase. |
| The European Parliament has launched a legal procedure against his government which could result in sanctions. EU partners accuse Fidesz of undermining democracy and the rule of law. | The European Parliament has launched a legal procedure against his government which could result in sanctions. EU partners accuse Fidesz of undermining democracy and the rule of law. |