PM Orbán seen as key to right-wing cooperation in Europe

A conservative commentator thinks that Prime Minister Orbán can use his experience as well as personal connections to help European right-wing parties overcome ideological gaps and unite in a common platform or even a new EP group.

In an interview with Inforadio, Botond Feledy, an analyst of the pro-government Nézőpont Institute sees last weekend’s meeting of right-wing conservative politicians in Warsaw (see BudaPost December 7) as a first step towards the creation of a new European right-wing platform and European Parliamentary group. If Hungarian, French, Polish, German and Italian right-wing sovereignist parties join forces, they could become the third strongest faction in the EU Parliament and as such, would become eligible for numerous EU positions as well as significant funding, Feledy notes. But to get there, deep ideological gulfs need to be bridged, Feledy admits. As an example, he mentions that Marine Le Pen is often criticized by the Polish Law and Justice party’s supporters for advocating cooperation with Russia. Feledy believes that PM Orbán has a key role to play in the establishment of the new right-wing platform. PM Orbán is a seasoned veteran on the European political stage, maintains good personal relations with most of the leaders of right-wing parties, and can thus help them overcome divisions, Feledy concludes.

Tags: conservatives, Le Pen, Orbán, Poland, right-wing