Sources have told German weekly Der Spiegel that Hungary's ruling Fidesz party will not be expelled from the European People's Party (EPP) for the time being because the majority required for a move like that is missing.
The newspaper revealed that in telephone calls to the chairmen of various member parties, EPP leader Donald Tusk made it clear that there is currently no majority to end Fidesz’s membership, a situation he attributed mainly to the attitude of the large member parties, including the German ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its coalition partner, the Christian Social Union (CSU).
In the calls, both CDU general secretary Paul Ziemiak and CSU leader Markus Söder had warned against the “hasty removal of Fidesz from the EPP.”
Tusk earlier met the body of “three wise people” assigned with probing Fidesz’s actions and said he would present his opinion on the probe at the EPP board meeting on February 3-4.
Fidesz’s membership was suspended last March, under charges that the Hungarian party had infringed on the center-right party family’s values and vocally criticized some EPP decisions.
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