The European People's Party (EPP) decided on Wednesday 20 March, after more than three hours of discussions, to suspend the leader of the Fidesz party and Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. Announced by the president of the party, Joseph Daul, who has handed in his resignation, the decision is taken with "immediate effect and until further notice," he said on Twitter. Delegates approved this decision by 190 votes to 3 (a total of 261 delegates were eligible to vote).
This proposal for suspension results in a freezing of Fidesz's voting rights, no right to propose candidates for EPP posts, and being prevented from attending EPP meetings. The decision of the EPP is to also obligate Mr Orbán to ensure compliance with certain criteria: not to damage the image and values of the EPP, for example through poster campaigns, or to clarify its position on the fate of the Central European University and respect for principles such as academic freedom. An evaluation committee is also to be set up – a committee of wise men in other words – who will draw up a report as to whether the Hungarian party and its leader are respecting the principles of the EPP and the rule of law.
This evaluation committee will be led by three people, including the former President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, the former President of the European Parliament, Hans Gert Pöttering, and the former Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel, who is known for having had dealings with the Austrian far right and for having also been suspended when he joined Jorg Haider’s FPÖ party in 2000.
Throughout the day, the entourage of the man from Fidesz had, for a time, threatened the voluntary departure of Viktor Orbán should a decision be taken to exclude or suspend him. Subsequently, the Hungarian leader challenged the special agreement and tried to change the wording by successfully noting that this decision of stay was taken by means of a mutual agreement between the EPP and Fidesz.
Faced with a difficult choice because of his ambitions at the head of the European Commission, Manfred Weber (Germany) indicated, at the end of the vote, that the notion of excluding the Hungarian party from the family still remained "on the table". The German said he was "proud" of this result and announced that he could now really "start the election campaign".
The Hungarian leader was to give a press conference in the evening, as is the EPP later. It remains to be seen what will be said by the 13 national parties at the origin of the procedure, which, by way of reminder, concerned an exclusion or suspension. EUROPE will continue to follow this. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)