Salvini and Strache in Budapest
May 8th, 2019In their remarks on visits by two right-wing leaders, commentators discuss whether Hungary is marginalising itself from the mainstream or is working on the renewal of Christian Democracy.
On Hírklikk, economist Ferenc Dávid, the former secretary general of VOSZ, the second largest employers’ organisation believes that by receiving Italian interior Minister Matteo Salvini and Austrian vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, as well as by declaring that he will not support People’s Party top candidate Manfred Weber’s bid for the presidency of the European Commission, PM Orbán has marginalised himself in European politics. Hungary, he believes, will lose prestige and money as a result.
On Pesti Srácok, Gergely Huth writes while Fidesz has withdrawn its support for Mr Weber because the EPP top candidate said he would not accept Fidesz’s votes to become President of the Commission, the Hungarian governing party is still not leaving the people’s Party. He sees two reasons for that: on the one hand, within the largest political alliance, he explains, Fidesz has more leverage toinfluence EU decisions; while on the other, Mr Orbán may still try to revert the course taken by the EPP in constantly allying itself with Europe’s socialists.