Fidesz, by fostering ties with radical-right and sovereignist parties, financial support and media influence, has managed to build a European illiberal alliance that accumulated in the “Patriots for Europe” group in the European Parliament. This alliance is able to challenge European integration by fuelling nationalist sentiments and shift European political scene further right, weakening supranational institutions and undermining the ability of the Union to act united.
In her policy paper Zsuzsanna Végh describes the origins and tools Fidesz used to form that illiberal alliance. She points out that the basis of the alliance are Eurosceptic way of thinking, nationalism and autocratic inclinations. The cooperation between Fidesz and like-minded political forces in other countries bloomed also due to the loans Hungarian governing party provided for electoral campaigns for befriended ones.
The author underlines that Fidesz has maintained the cooperation via several platforms like biannual Budapest Demographic Summit or European version of Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) from the US. Since June 2024, the most meaningful platform of illiberal cooperation has become the Patriots for Europe EP group.
Zsuzsanna Végh broadly describes the implications of that alliance for European integration. The Patriots became the third largest group in the EP, leaning the whole European political scene to the right. The group holds strong anti-immigrant views, attracting authoritarian populists and inspiring other far-right movements and parties outside of the group such as AfD.
The meaningful place in the policy paper takes the Hungarian government’s cooperation with the current administration in the White House. Donald Trump’s style of ruling stays in favour of Orbán’s cabinet, making the Hungarian voice in Europe even more relevant.
The policy paper was edited by Adam Balcer.
Read the whole policy paper here:
Rewriting European Project – Fidesz
