Economy
Manfred Weber to meet Hungarian PM Orbán in Budapest
Manfred Weber told Germany paper Welt am Sonntag on Sunday that he would seek a meeting with Orbán to discuss the dispute over the membership of the Hungarian PM’s Fidesz party in the EPP.
Havasi said the meeting on Tuesday will not be open to the press, and that information will be given subsequently in accordance with an agreement by the parties.
Last week, Weber said Orbán needs to meet three conditions if he wants his Fidesz party to remain a member of the EPP family.
Firstly, he needs to stop the anti-Brussels campaign using posters depicting EC President Jean-Claude Juncker and Hungarian-born financier and philanthropist George Soros. Although government spokesman Zoltán Kovács said the campaign would be finished after 15 March, Orbán said a few hours later that Juncker will be replaced by First Vice President Frans Timmermans.
"Mr Juncker is retiring and Mr Timmermans is taking his place," he said in an interview with Die Welt am Sonntag newspaper. Timmermans is the Party of European Socialists' lead candidate to replace Juncker as commission president in EU parliamentary elections in May.
Secondly, Orbán would need to apologise to EPP member parties. Finally, Orbán needs to secure the staying of Central European University (CEU), which is supported by George Soros, in Budapest, and also that the institution "regains its status as an issuer of U.S. diplomas" in the Hungarian capital city.In the meantime, the number of parties proposing the membership of Fidesz to be suspended or the party to be expelled from the EPP has risen to 13.
Havasi said the meeting on Tuesday will not be open to the press, and that information will be given subsequently in accordance with an agreement by the parties.
Last week, Weber said Orbán needs to meet three conditions if he wants his Fidesz party to remain a member of the EPP family.
Firstly, he needs to stop the anti-Brussels campaign using posters depicting EC President Jean-Claude Juncker and Hungarian-born financier and philanthropist George Soros. Although government spokesman Zoltán Kovács said the campaign would be finished after 15 March, Orbán said a few hours later that Juncker will be replaced by First Vice President Frans Timmermans.
"Mr Juncker is retiring and Mr Timmermans is taking his place," he said in an interview with Die Welt am Sonntag newspaper. Timmermans is the Party of European Socialists' lead candidate to replace Juncker as commission president in EU parliamentary elections in May.
Secondly, Orbán would need to apologise to EPP member parties. Finally, Orbán needs to secure the staying of Central European University (CEU), which is supported by George Soros, in Budapest, and also that the institution "regains its status as an issuer of U.S. diplomas" in the Hungarian capital city.In the meantime, the number of parties proposing the membership of Fidesz to be suspended or the party to be expelled from the EPP has risen to 13.
