Meloni's conservatives demand Orban's support for Ukraine
Italians are issuing demands to Fidesz. Member of the European Parliament Nicola Procaccini from the conservative faction announced that if Viktor Orban wants to bring his party into the group in the European Parliament, he must declare written support for Ukraine.
2:48 PM EDT, June 20, 2024
The vice-chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the EP, Nicola Procaccini (belonging to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party), said that the group asked the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) party for a "formal written declaration of unilateral support for the Ukrainian cause."
"Without this, joining the ECR would not be possible because we always stand by Kyiv's side," the Italian MEP said, referring to the leader of the Romanian party being persona non grata in Ukraine due to his political views.
Procaccini emphasized that similar rules apply to the Hungarian Prime Minister's party. "If Orban wanted to join the ECR, he would have to do the same," he said.
Hungarians claim they will not join because of Romanians
Earlier, Italian media reported that the veto against Fidesz joining the ECR was to be issued by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The leader of the Fidesz faction in the EP, Máté Kocsis, wrote on Facebook that he believes the party should not join the ECR because it includes the "extremely anti-Hungarian Romanian AUR." "There is no way Fidesz will sit in a group with such a party in the European Parliament! No discussion," he wrote.
Orban wanted to join the ECR
In February, Orban told Italian newspapers that after the EP elections, Fidesz would join the ECR group.
"The idea came up earlier, but we will do it after the elections. The answer is yes, we are ready to join the Conservatives and Reformists," added the Hungarian Prime Minister.
The ECR faction includes MEPs from the Law and Justice party. Orban's Fidesz previously belonged to the European People's Party.
