PM Orbán and two other European politicians launched a new European Parliament faction today

HUNGARY - In Brief 01 Jul 2024 by Istvan Racz

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PM Orbán's Fidesz-KDNP, together with Czechia's ANO party (which left the liberal Renew faction in June) and Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ, so far member of the radical right-winger Identity and Democracy faction) announced the establishment of a new party group within the European Parliament, under the name 'Patriots for Europe', earlier today. At this moment, this group will not officially count as a 'political family' (= a faction) in the EP, as for that to happen, it should include at least 23 MEPs (= representatives in the EP) from at least seven member states. The new group currently has 23 MEPs but those come from only three member states. However, the founders intend to win over further parties from the I&D group and possibly also from the non-aligned group and/or from newly elected EP members. Most notably, the leader of Italian hardline rightist party La Lega said that they are looking at the new group with sympathy. 'Political families' are supposed to be announced in the newly elected European Parliament by July 4, but the rule is that they can be formed or changed at any time. This act by the founding parties appears to be a new attempt by radical right-wingers, typically eurosceptic and anti-Ukrainian, to join forces. However, the European mainstream, consisting of the christian democrat People's Party, the social democrats, the liberals and the greens own 63% of all seats (moderately down from 68% in the outgoing EP), and adding the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which is a fiercely pro-Ukrainian bloc, the pro-Ukrainian majority is a total 73% (moderately down from 78% in the outgoing parliament). This means that the elections on June 6-9 an...