The PiS delegation in the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group boycotted its meeting in the European Parliament; the reason for this is discussions about the possible expansion of the group with Fidesz of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – PAP learned from Polish and Italian sources in the European Parliament.
According to sources in the European Parliament, there were frictions between MEPs from PiS and the Italian Brothers’ Party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Polish delegation refused to participate in the planned meeting of the ECR Group 11 in the European Parliament in Brussels, which included the Group Presidency. The meeting is moved to 5:30 PM.
One of the reasons would be a conflict about the possibility of possibly expanding the group. PiS has long announced that it is in talks with Fidesz members of the European Parliament about their possible entry into the ECR, and behind the scenes in Brussels there was also talk of the possibility of joining the French National Rally, a right-wing party associated with Marine Le Pen, to put on. to the group of Members of the European Parliament.
Orbán’s party, which has ten members of the European Parliament, currently does not belong to any group in the EP.
Romanian AUR party vs. Fidesz
A group of six Romanian MEPs from the right-wing party AUR (Union for the Unity of Romanians) are opposing the accession of Hungarians to the ECR. The reluctance is mutual: Orban, who met Meloni in Rome on Monday, stated that Fidesz has no intention of joining the ECR precisely because of the presence of an anti-Hungarian formation from Romania in the group.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Polish delegation in EKR did not rule out the possibility of resigning from AUR if it meant Fidesz would be accepted. The negotiations will also take place outside the European Parliament: former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who is in favor of cooperation with Orban, came to Brussels.
However, PAP’s Italian source emphasizes that in the pre-election phase of negotiations an agreement was reached that the faction that would accept AUR would not accept Fidesz. Italian sources speculate that PiS’s behavior could be a response to Meloni’s omission from talks on key EU positions.
The Polish delegation decided that it could gain something from Meloni’s defeat. It’s like dancing on her grave
— PAP heard from Italians in the European Parliament.
As for Le Pen, I don’t think Meloni would want to admit a party that has more seats (than her party) to the group. This would take away the priority of the Italian delegation
– added the PAP interlocutor.
What will PiS do?
Although there were even rumours in Brussels about the possibility of PiS leaving the EKR faction, PAP sources close to the Polish delegation deny this.
There is no question of leaving EKR. Negotiations are just going on
– says the PAP interlocutor.
As a Polish source admits, leaving EKR would be detrimental to PiS, also because the group managed to negotiate some of the legislation in the previous EP that will carry over into the current legislature. Joining a new faction would mean starting over. Moreover, the ECR currently has 83 seats and is the third largest political power in the European Parliament.
Originally scheduled for The faction’s 11th meeting has been moved to 5:30 p.m., but PAP sources are not hopeful that it will end in an agreement. If no agreement is reached, talks will continue in the coming days.
READ ALSO:
— Kocsis: The extremely anti-Hungarian Romanian party AUR has been included in the ECR group. It is impossible that Fidesz would be in the same group in the European Parliament
– Meloni does not want Orbán in the European Conservatives and Reformists faction! It rejected Fidesz’s application to join the group
MD/PAP
Source: wPolityce