Orbán and Weber to meet in Budapest
March 12th, 2019As EPP top candidate Manfred Weber is expected to meet PM Orbán in Budapest in the coming days, before the European People’s Party summit next week to discuss a motion to expel Fidesz, commentators assess the role of the Hungarian opposition in shaping the attitude of EPP decision-makers.
In 168 óra, Zoltán Czeglédi believes that the leaders of the European People’s Party, including Mr Weber and Mrs Angela Merkel would prefer to keep Fidesz within their alliance, bearing in mind the interests of German investors in Hungary. The Hungarian opposition, he continues, has been actively campaigning in the West about the misdeeds of the Fidesz-led government, and therefore EPP leaders find it increasingly difficult to turn a blind eye to developments in Hungary. The West cannot topple the Hungarian government, he writes, but if the ruling party is evicted from the EPP, its legitimacy would be seriously damaged.
In Magyar Hírlap, Pál Dippold lambasts opposition female MPs who have staged repeated street protests against the government campaign against Brussels and defaced posters featuring European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and George Soros. He interprets their gesture as showing to Brussels that there are forces in Hungary who support its pro-immigration policies. The pro-government commentator finds it ironic that opposition MPs should complain about the lack of freedom when there are scores of media outlets echoing their opinions and they themselves can also protest without hindrance.