Orban criticizes Brussels ignorance of power of voters
Date
6/24/2024 8:42:30 AM
(MENAFN) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban voiced strong criticism on Tuesday, accusing the European Union of neglecting the desires of its citizens by forging a coalition between the center-right majority party and leftist factions in the European Parliament. Orban's remarks followed recent parliamentary elections across the EU, where right-wing parties made significant gains, toppling ruling coalitions in key member states like Germany and France.
Despite this rightward shift in voter sentiment, centrist parties, particularly Ursula von der Leyen's European People’s Party (EPP), maintained a majority in the European Parliament with 190 seats. Von der Leyen, the former German defense minister, has pledged to uphold Brussels' pro-Ukraine stance amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Reports from Politico indicated that the EPP, in a move criticized by Orban, proposed a division of key European Union leadership roles with the left-wing Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). This proposal included securing second terms for von der Leyen as European Commission President and Roberta Metsola as European Parliament President, while also offering to share the European Council presidency with S&D.
Orban, known for his outspoken nationalist views, condemned the coalition formation, stating on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "The will of the European people was ignored today in Brussels." He emphasized that the election results clearly demonstrated a strengthening of right-wing parties while the left and liberals faced setbacks. Orban accused the EPP of disregarding voter preferences by aligning with socialist and liberal factions to divide top European Union positions among themselves.
The Hungarian PM's remarks underscore ongoing tensions within the European Union over political alignment and the interpretation of electoral mandates, reflecting broader debates on democratic representation and decision-making processes at the European level.
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