On Wednesday morning, members of the European Parliament’s largest party group, the conservative EPP, voted in favor of a rule change that made it possible to exclude the Hungarian ruling party Fides.

Dissatisfaction with Fidez has been very good among many EPP member parties. Of the group’s 180 MPs, 148 voted in favor of a change in the rule, while 28 voted and dropped four.

Difficult to connect with fiddz

– In many member countries, including Sweden, it has been a little difficult for EPP parties to engage with Fides. SVT European correspondent David Botti said that Christian Democrats and moderates are often asked how party friends with Fides feel when Hungary behaves in a way that does not perfectly harmonize with democratic principles.

– The Fides is considered an extremist party that does not actually belong to this party group, which has a wide variety of center-right parties.

Finally tobe says

The news that Fidez has now left the group has been welcomed by Moderate European Union MP Tomas Tobe.

– Victor Orban and Fides have been going in the wrong direction for a long time with the disintegration of the rule of law and independent media. They have moved in an authoritarian direction that can no longer be accepted, he tells SVT News.

– I think many people feel like me. Finally, our party group puts its foot down. We show that we have to mark for European cooperation, for the rule of law, and against this authoritarian development. At the same time we should prevent Hungary from slipping from Europe.

Is there no risk that the probability of influencing Hungary and Fides now decreases?

– It has been the idea of ​​keeping them in the group before. But there is no evidence that Viktor Orbán is ready to go in the right direction. And then he will not patronize the largest party group in Parliament, says Tobe.

May end in ECR

It is still unclear which party groups will now apply to FIDS.

It is speculated that they may join the more EU-skeptical conservative party group ECR, which includes the Sweden Democrats and the Polish Governing Party Law and Justice.