Four days after the EP elections, the Center for Fundamental Rights held a press conference analysing the implications of the results. They concluded that there was a significant increase in the support of the political right in the EU, and this fact will reshape European politics.
‘We won the first half, 1–0 here. Now, let’s wait for Donald Trump to bring in the second half,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a humorous tone during an interview with M1 public television as he assessed the results of Sunday’s European Parliament and local elections. PM Orbán emphasized that Fidesz defeated both the old and new opposition simultaneously, which he considers a particularly valuable outcome.
The far-left Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra coalition got above the parliamentary threshold in Italy last Sunday, and will delegate Ilaria Salis to the European Parliament. Salis was standing criminal trial in Hungary for allegedly taking part in Antifa’s attack on attendees of an event in Budapest in February 2023, but was now granted political immunity and will escape the charges.
Snap elections in France, the Belgian Prime Minister resigning, and the German coalition government in turmoil—all happening in the wake of the European elections. Even though the elections, billed as crucial, did not bring the right-wing turnaround many had hoped for, the right-wing parties, almost without exception, performed well, causing panic among the liberal elite in Western Europe.
Despite slipping slightly from first place according to the exit polls, Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) managed to significantly increase the number of MEPs it is to send to the EP on the first day of the European elections. PVV will have seven seats in the new EP, with Wilders expressing hope that the official results, to be announced on 9 June, will confirm that his party came in first.
Hungary’s Honorary Consulate has opened in Monaco, allowing Hungarians to vote in the European Parliament elections on 9 June at a record of 147 foreign locations. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó pointed out the significance of 9 June, calling it possibly the most crucial day in modern European history.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave an interview to the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, in which he stressed that the current European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen has failed regarding everything from war to agriculture. He emphasized that there is no other choice: the European right must take over after the elections.
Belgium, currently holding the rotating EU Presidency, is urging member states to accelerate the Article 7 procedure against Hungary, which could result in the country losing its voting rights in EU decision-making. Pressure on Budapest over Ukraine has been increasing in recent months; Belgium’s call could be seen as part of this effort.
Facebook has deleted the recording of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech from public television’s page, with the absurd allegation that the video shared symbols associated with ‘dangerous’ individuals and organizations. Orbán spoke at the Peace March held on Saturday, discussing peace in Ukraine and the upcoming European elections.
A vibrant panel discussion on 30 May 2024 in Budapest looked at the impact of Brexit on Europe and the EU, and on the importance of nation-states and the conservative movement in a changing Europe.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.