Prospects of a new right-wing EU party group

On Thursday in Budapest, Prime Minister Orbán meets Matteo Salvini and Mateusz Morawiecki to discuss European identity and cooperation in the EU.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Orbán hosts Matteo Salvini, former deputy Prime Minister of Italy and leader of the Lega (League) party, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Law and Justice (PiS) to discuss cooperation between their parties at the European level. Matteo Salvini said that the aim is to outline a new conception of European identity. He denied, however, that a new European party group will be announced after the meeting.

On Válasz Online, Bálint Ablonczy deems it unlikely that a new right-wing European party group that includes parties from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the Identity and Democracy (ID) group will emerge. The conservative analyst points out that such a political group would include parties that oppose national minority rights that are integral to Hungary’s interests. Ablonczy recalls that some of the potential members of the new right-wing group, including the Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the Spanish Vox party voted against the Minority Safepack (see BudaPost January 21) initiative proposed by Hungarian transborder minorities. Ablonczy adds that Salvini’s and Le Pen’s Russian sympathies also represent a major stumbling block for the Polish PiS party. In light of all this, Ablonczy contends that only a very loose coalition of the right-wing parties is possible rather than a close alliance.

Tags: European Parliament, Fidesz, Salvini