Fidesz Members of the European Parliament leave the EPP Group

The twelve Fidesz MEPs leave the EPP Group as a result of adopting such changes to the EPP Group’s Rules of procedure that would restrict the rights of democratically elected MEPs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Fidesz-KDNP Delegation to the European Parliament regards it as unfortunate and politically unacceptabe that in times of a pandemic which causes the death of thousands of Europeans every day and puts our citizens and economies under an unprecedented pressure, the EPP Group engages in a precipitate administrative manoeuvre and restricts MEPs rights through questionable rules of suspension.

The Fidesz-KDNP Delegation to the European Parliament has repeatedly expressed its legal and political concerns throughout the negotiations, but these concerns have not been sufficiently addressed in the final version of the text. As a result, the adopted modification of the Rules of procedure risk with limiting Fidesz MEPs’ ability to carry out their duties.

The Delegation is on the view that the democratic decision of nearly 2 millions of voters that supported Fidesz in the last European elections must fully be respected in all circumstances and therefore the rights of their representatives can in no way be restricted or deprived. The Delegation is convinced, that addressing political differences by legal sanctions is undemocratic and unworthy of the European People’s Party.

Therefore, and in line with the decision of the governing body of Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance, the twelve Fidesz MEPs will leave the parliamentary group of the European People’s Party.