According to István Ugielj, during the political season that begins in the fall, it will become clear how strong and united the new political formations created in the European Parliament are, as there are internal rifts, discussions and debates. The former MEP believes that the “Patriots for Europe” movement launched by Viktor Orbán is by no means as united and solid as Fidesz portrays it.
The dominant force in the European Parliament is not the Hungarian ruling party, but in fact the French far-right group led by Marine Le Pen. Although this group maintains a good relationship with the Hungarian prime minister, it is prone to independence and internal tensions, which, according to the leader of the Opportunities group, could easily lead to conflicts.
In his open letter, the former representative points out that one of the first decisions taken by the reconstituted European Parliament was to define a common position on support for Ukraine. Already in this document, it was stated that Viktor Orbán violated this with his “peace mission” to Russia – in detail István Ugélyi, adding: The decision divided not only Hungarian MEPs (for example, politicians from the Tisza party abstained from voting on the final vote), but also the faction of nationalists. The majority voted “no” in Brussels, two voted in favor, and 15 out of 84 MEPs abstained.
According to the former MEP, this also shows that the faction is not as united as Fidesz previously assessed. “It is self-contradictory for nationalist and sovereigntist forces to work together in the long run, because sooner or later they will inevitably come into conflict with each other due to their exaggerated protectionist vision,” he noted. According to him, the Hungarian ruling party’s friendliness towards Russia could lead to further clashes within the formation. Accordingly, he believes that “we are looking forward to an exciting political autumn” in Brussels as well.
