Merkel ally warns Hungary's Orbán not to cross red lines

Portfolio
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán risks triggering a crisis in his Fidesz party's relationship with the European Union's centre-right parties over laws they charge infringe civil liberties, an ally of Germany' Chancellor has warned on Monday. This chimes together with press reports over the weekend, saying the member of the Fidesz party in the European People’s Party (EPP) group hinges on whether or not Orbán’s government is willing to meet two conditions regarding Central European University (CEU) and a draft legislative package dubbed ‘Stop Soros’.
Re-elected earlier this year for his third consecutive term (fourth in total), Orbán has attracted criticism for delaying accreditation for CEU, a university founded by financier George Soros, an outspoken critic of Orbán. The populist politician secured his party another supermajority in the April election on a heavy anti-migration campaign and by vilifying Soros.

A draft package of legislation dubbed ‘Stop Soros’ would subject non-governmental organisations that receive foreign funding to strict regulation has been compared by critics to measures in non-European Union states like Russia.Critics say the European People's Party (EPP), which includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), has pulled its punches because of a need for its member's votes in the European Parliament. Fidesz's commanding position at home means it contributes a big chunk of the EPP's caucus, Reuters reported today.

But Andreas Nick, a CDU lawmaker and his party's Hungary rapporteur, has become the latest EPP figure to say Orbán's latest moves on CEU and the NGO law risked crossing red lines.

Would I prefer Fidesz to stay within the Christian Democrat camp? Of course. But our Hungarian friends need to understand that crossing certain lines would make life very difficult for everyone

, Nick told Reuters.

His remarks, coming shortly after criticism by Manfred Weber, another Merkel ally and the EPP's president in the European Parliament, suggest that patience is running out for a party increasingly seen as being far outside the democratic mainstream.

The Council of Europe, Europe's human rights watchdog, is due to issue a report on the proposed NGO law next month, and Nick said Hungary's reaction to that would be a crucial test of its willingness to respond to criticism.

But Cas Mudde, an expert on Fidesz at the University of Georgia, was sceptical aboutwhether critics would stay the course if Orbán did back down.

This is a pre-emptive strike... criticising Fidesz mildly, before real critique comes out, and then later either not following up or accepting marginal adjustments

," the news agency cited Mudde as saying.
 

More in Economy

GettyImages-2101927644-akkumulátorgyártás-elektromos-autó-épület-gyár-gyártás-ipar-technológia-üzem
July 04, 2025 15:41

Hungry opens labour check at CATL with immediate effect

After press reports of workers being made redundant

önkormányzat-időjárás-viz-hőség-szabályozás-környezetvédelem-ivóvíz-vízellátás-locsolás
July 04, 2025 14:50

Government prepares strict regulations for water wells in Hungary

Due to water scarcity

July 04, 2025 14:34

Alarming data: Lake Balaton's water level is decreasing

Water evaporates quickly in scorching hot weather

July 04, 2025 14:28

New Deputy Governor appointed in Hungary's central bank

Dániel Palotai to take office for six years

July 04, 2025 13:36

Hungarian government to distribute over 800 properties for free

Focus on rural Hungary

vonat-vasut-este-vonatkozlekedes-vonatozas-járat-jegy-közlekedés-menetidő-pályaudvar-személyszállítás-utazás-vasút-vasútállomás-vonat
July 04, 2025 09:41

Real-time train information for Hungarian territory removed from Austrian railway system

Train delay saga reaches another tragicomic chapter

LATEST NEWS

Detailed search