Abandoned by Allies, EU Censure Pushes Orban Toward EPP Exit

(Bloomberg) -- Hungary’s prime minister said he was on the verge of quitting the European Union’s biggest political group after it backed a resolution demanding that the bloc intensify efforts to rein in his perceived democratic backsliding.

In a joint resolution on Hungary and Poland, the European Parliament said Thursday that EU probes into the rule of law in both countries haven’t resulted in improvements. EU lawmakers also called for additional mechanisms to reinforce the bloc’s ability to discipline rogue member states.

Pointedly for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose ruling Fidesz party is in the EPP, a large majority of the umbrella group supported the resolution. The EPP is considering whether to expel Fidesz over the dismantlement of checks and balances in Hungary.

“We were within a centimeter of quitting the EPP,” Orban told state radio in an interview on Friday. “When our allies betray us -- and the majority of the EPP betrayed us -- we have no place there.”

The EPP suspended Fidesz in March over the erosion of the rule-of-law. Orban reiterated that he may preemptively withdraw his party from the EPP, and if he does he will most likely create a new EU umbrella platform.

Orban has already held talks about possible cooperation with Poland’s nationalist ruling Law & Justice Party, which is a member of a smaller group in the European Parliament.

“Things can’t go on like this, that’s for sure,” Orban said, adding that the only reason he didn’t withdraw Fidesz from the EPP already was because Italian, French and Spanish members voted against the resolution. “That gives us some hope, though it’s waning.”

--With assistance from Veronika Gulyas.

To contact the reporter on this story: Zoltan Simon in Budapest at zsimon@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net, Andrea Dudik, Michael Winfrey

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